Vigils will be held across the country Wednesday for three Americans who are being detained in Iran.
This week marks two months since the group of hikers were taken into custody for straying into Iranian territory during a trip in July. The Iranian government accused them of being CIA agents.
Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shroud, 31, and Elkins Park native Joshua Fattal, 27, have been detained since July 31 and have not seen or spoken to their families since that time. Fattal’s parents said they are eagerly awaiting word from Iran.
"What any mother would want and what I want more than anything, we want them to come home. “We want to right now hear their voices. You cannot imagine, to not hear their voices, this is suffering. This is difficult,” said Josh’s mother, Laura Fattal told USA Today.
She and the other two hikers' mothers wrote a letter to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pleading for their children's release. “We are certain that if they crossed the border, it can only be by accident. They had no reason to go to Iran. Please accept our regrets for any inconvenience or misunderstanding this unfortunate accident may have caused,” the mothers wrote.
Ahmedinejad told NBC's Ann Curry “I am not happy that they have been arrested, but these individuals have violated our borders," adding that he would consider releasing the trio if the US released Iranian nationals.
The vigils will be held in 13 locations including Curtis Arboretum, located at 1250 Church Road, in Wyncote at 8 p.m.
