RSSIran Sentences US Hikers Shane Bauer & Josh Fattal to 8 Years as Spies
The Iranian kangaroo court has spoken …
The two American hikers, Shane Bauer & Josh Fattal, who were arrested on July 31, 2009 near Iran’s border with Iraq, along with a third American Sarah Shourd, by the Iranian regime have been sentenced in Iran to 8 years as US spies. They were convicted for for espionage and illegal entry.
“In connection with illegal entry into Iranian territory each was given three years in jail and in connection with the charge of cooperating with American intelligence service, each was given five years in jail,” a state TV website said, quoting what it called an informed judiciary source.
They have 20 days to appeal, it said.
The affair has compounded tensions between Tehran and Washington, which have had no diplomatic relations since the storming of the U.S. embassy after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials.
Thankfully, Sarah Shourd was freed on $500,000 bail in September 2010, returned home and never returned back to Iran. What will be the reaction of the Obama Administration to the sentencing? Sorry, Obama was to busy on vacation to respond to two Americans being unjustly imprisoned.
Obviously, this was a hard line message by Iran to test the Obama Administration … but all that came from the State Department was that they restated the U.S. appeals for their release, “It is time to reunite them with their families.” I guess its better than an Obama apology.
Oh the irony, a regime like Iran enforcing their borders, but Barack Obama thinks that its perfectly ok for illegals to come across the border as long as they commit no crimes. Maybe after his Martha’s Vineyard vacation, Obama can share his executive order providing backdoor amnesty to illegals.
UPDATE I: Iran turns US hikers into Hostages.
Is it 1979 all over again … a weak US Democrat President residing over a failed US economy and an Iranian regime politicizing the capture and detainment of Americans.
The politicized verdict once again underscores the Islamist regime’s twisted sense of “justice,” which is meted out against Iranians as well as foreigners to advance the interests of a ruthlessly brutal regime. The show trial of the hiker/hostages is one more slap in the face of the Obama Administration, whose eager rush to engage Tehran has produced no tangible results.
Posted August 20, 2011 by Scared Monkeys Barack Obama, Iran, Judicial, Justice, Legal - Court Room - Trial, Middle East, World | 10 comments |
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10 Responses to “Iran Sentences US Hikers Shane Bauer & Josh Fattal to 8 Years as Spies”
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It’s not Obama’s job to respond to that but that of the secretary of state.
Apart from that maybe Americans will learn by now that you’re not welcome in the Middle East and in many area’s of major European cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Amsterdam.
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SM: I am sure the cities of Europe enjoy the tourism and $’s.
Sorry to hear that. Perhaps their experience can help keep more American tourists out of the Middle East.
Having spent some time in an Iranian prison as a foreigner myself (http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/reports-about-my-trip-to-iran-in-junejuly-2009/), I feel terribly sorry for these guys!
Maybe if Canada and the States adopted the same hardline consequences … illegal immigration would cease … a deterrent would be established.
I can only assume that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would have reconsidered prior to hiking anywhere near the border if they thought for one minute that the possibility of accidently crossing into Iranian territory would have reaped such a serious consequence.
IMO
Janet
o
obama enjoys vacation while Americans abroad are falsely accused and then pursecuted. Lovely.
I find it amazing that Western publications and blogs uniformly refer to the trio as “hikers.” As if it were a metaphysical impossibility that they were, in fact, spies. Who the hell goes “hiking” right up against the Iraqi/Iranian border? These “kids” were in fact activists and journlists;they had to know that that border is extremely sensitive, with both countries claiming that the other sends terrorists and guerillas across it in remote areas, to carry on attacks in the interior. Why go “hiking” there, or anywhere in Iraq, really, unless you are looking for some kind of trouble or up to no good? Go hike in Switzerland.
The other thing that bugs me about the “hikers” is that Westerners who travel frequently in countries ruled by regimes hostile to the US (journalists, students, academics, adventure-tourists, businessmen, etc.) always act like it is completely ridiculous that the security services of such countries think that they are, or at least might be, spies. Ha, ha, ha, says the smug American or Brit, sitting by the fire or at the bar, telling his story about how the suspicious and stupid Iranian or Venezulan officials had the temerity to suspect him, HIM!, of being a spy! Well, duh, American spy agencies do operate in those countries, and what do you think they use as “cover” in places where most regular tourists don’t go? Naturally, they pose as journalists, adventure tourist, academics, etc. Or, they recruit legitimate businessmen, etc, to act as spies. Thus, the suspicion of the security agencies is entirely justified.
Are these three American activists really spies? I have no way of knowing, but then again, neither does the Western media, which has uniformly concluded that they are not.
The blogger here goes one step further, in his hypocracy. On the one hand, the Iranian court which convicted and sentenced these “hikers” must be of the “kangaroo” variety, the defendants’ imprisonment clearly “unjust,” and the whole thing done merely as a “hard line test” of the Obama administration. But, on the other hand, he says, “Oh the irony, a regime like Iran enforcing their borders, but Barack Obama thinks that its perfectly ok for illegals to come across the border as long as they commit no crimes.” Well, which is it? Is Iran merely enforcing its borders, in a way which the blogger not only approves of but wishes President Obama would emulate, on behalf of the United States, or is Iran in engaging in “kangaroo” justice to see if it can push the US around? Is it “OK” for foreignors to cross international borders without authorization (which these “hikers,” even if they aren’t spies, clearly did), as long as they committ no further crimes, or isn’t it? Or does the answer simply depend on whose ox is being gored?
Me personally, I think immigration laws should be enforced by the United States, but, then again, I have no problem with their vigorous enforcement by other countries either, including adversarial countries like Iran. Good for the goose, good for the gander.
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SM: I would say a couple of things. One, Iran has every right to defend their borders and have their own immigration policy. That does not stop the fact that their courts are a joke, and in this case they have made in political because they were US citizens. Two, I think anyone would be out of their minds to even go anywhere near the Iran border. It is a kin during the USSR/East Germany to screwing around in East Berlin. Three, it is rather embarrassing that Iran would better police their border than the US.
If Iran has a right to police its borders, and there is no legitimate reason for these “kids” to be where they were, what, exactly, is the problem with what Iran has done? Whether their courts are a “joke” or not, the three did enter Iran, and did so illegally. That accounts for three years of their sentence. The other five is for spying. But, as you say, there was no other reason for being there. Again, “joke” or not, what makes you think the Iranian court was wrong when it said they were spying? How do you know they weren’t, given that there is no other logical explanation for them being where they were? As for the “political” nature of the case, does Iran look the other way when non US nationals violate their border? Do you have any proof of that? Also, the US has shown itself to be antagonistic to Iran, so border incursions by US nationals are of special concern to them. Does that make it “political?” Isn’t the US more concerned about Iranians illegally entering the US than it is about Canadians doing so? And rightly so? What’s the difference here? Finally, you say it is “embarrassing” that Iran is policing its borders better than the US. What does this mean, in the context of this case? That the US should act as Iran is acting here? How can that be, when you claim that Iran is acting unjustly? It sounds like what you are really doing is just taking a cheap shot at Obama. If he acted like the Iranians, that would be an “injustice.” If he DOESM’T act like the Iranians, that’s an embarrasment.
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SM: Please, Obama is gutless and there is a reason why Iran is doing this under his presidency, much like they did under Carter. These two guys are not prisoners, they are hostages. Either you are too young to remember or care not to. Obviously, Iran is politicizing this situation.
The fact that the US does not control their borders is criminal, no matter who is in Office. However, Obama loves to pander to illegals in hope of one day making them a voting constituent.
SM: … Obviously, Iran is politicizing this situation.
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I agree but … at the same time … when the eight year sentence is considered … Iran is sending a strong message of deterent to all who a who are contemplating entering Iranian territory illegally. From this period in time “hikers” will ensure that their treks do not take them anywhere near the Iranian border.
I only wish that the Canadian and American policies deterred illegal immigration … illegal immigration that in the majority of cases imply no jail time … no deportation but … accesses to tax payer funded social services and … ultimately citizenship is the prize.
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SM: Agreed! However, the 3 that crossed the border were not trying to illegally immigrate to Iran. One would have to be insane to do that. Actually, one would have to have their head examined to hike anywhere near the Iran border.
The US illegal immigration policy is nothing more than criminal in not enforcing preexisting law.
R
Homeland Security? That is another issue.
Janet
[...] will be set free today. A second Iranian judge has finally signed their release order. Iran had previously sentenced Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer to 8 years in prison as spies. Attorney Masoud Shafii, the lawyer representing the Americans, said [...]