Former detained hiker to speak on campus

Sarah Shourd, a UC Berkeley alumna who was detained in an Iranian prison for over a year after being accused of spying with two other alumni, will be speaking on campus Sunday.

Hosted by the Berkeley Lecture Series, Shourd will appear with the families of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, who were arrested along with Shourd, in a discussion panel that will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. in 20 Barrows Hall. Fattal and Bauer themselves will not be in attendance, as they remain detained in Iran.

Shourd, Fattal and Bauer — who is also Shourd’s fiance — were stopped by border police when hiking along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009. All three were detained in Evin Prison in Tehran until Shourd was released in September with a $500,000 bail on humanitarian grounds after she found a lump in her left breast.

The Islamic Republic News Agency reported Tuesday that Iran expects to make a final decision on the case by August. The prosecutor in the case also said the Americans’ next court appearance is tentatively set for the summer session of the court, between June 22 and August 22, according to the news agency.

The families of the two men released a statement Tuesday, saying they are hoping the court session will take place soon.

“Shane and Josh are being held without any due process, and their mental and physical welfare is in grave danger,” the statement reads. “Their suffering needs to end now, and they should be allowed to return home immediately.”

Though the event is free, suggested donations are $10.

Katie Nelson is an assistant news editor.

Source: The Daily Californian