From freethehikers.org:

FREE THE HIKERS SHANE BAUER, SARAH SHOURD, JOSH FATTAL

Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd have been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when news reports say they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. They were in a peaceful region of Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists.

The three young Americans, all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley, are believed to be held in the Iranian capital, Tehran. They have not been charged with any crime, have had no contact with their families, and have not been granted their right to consular access.

Shane, Josh and Sarah care greatly about the world. They admire and respect different cultures and religions and share a love of travel that has taken them to many countries. That’s why they went to Kurdistan, not because they wanted to enter Iran.

Iran is really not doing well human rights-wise. How can we help instead of just criticize? (I’m really asking)

BBC News – Norway and Sweden censure Iran over Nobel prizewinner.

Norway and Sweden have censured Iran for its treatment of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.

They say that her situation is of “great concern”. The rebuke comes on the day Nobel prizes are presented.

Scandinavian officials say Iran confiscated the Nobel medal awarded to Ms Ebadi but later returned it. Tehran previously denied these claims.

Ms Ebadi has criticised Tehran’s handling of unrest after June’s disputed presidential election.

In a joint statement, foreign ministers Carl Bildt of Sweden and Jonas Gahr Stoere of Norway said: “We react very strongly to the treatment to which Shirin Ebadi has been subjected.” – Read on

Here is a great letter from Joel Simon of Committee to Protect Journalists. He helped me out quite a bit after my arrest when Mohammed was still in prison.

Our best to you, Shane, Sarah and Josh. May you be safe and sane and come home soon – and same to all prisoners of thought, expression and politics.

A letter to the American hikers being held in Iran
By Joel Simon/Executive Director

The families of Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shourd, the three hikers detained in Iran, said today they are concerned about their children’s emotional well-being after nearly four months in prison. They asked supporters to send letters, which they will seek to deliver to them in Evin Prison in Tehran, where the three are being held.

We know from speaking with journalists who have endured imprisonment that these letters provide an enormous emotional lift, helping to break the overwhelming feeling of isolation. If you would like to write a letter, you can send it Free the Hikers, P.O. Box 15065, Duluth, MN 55815, USA. You can also send an e-mail to letterstohikers@gmail.com.

More information is available at freetheihkers.org.

The letter I sent is below:

November 16, 2009

Dear Shane, Josh, and Sarah,

The people who are holding you in Evin Prison may want you to believe you are alone and the world has forgotten you.

Don’t believe them.

There are thousands and thousands of people around the world who are thinking of you every day and working for your safe return home.

I wish you all strength and look forward to the day very soon when I have a chance to meet you in person.

All my best,

Joel Simon

Executive Director

I grew up in Saudi Arabia, a beautiful land I am glad to have spent time in. Internationally its medieval judiciary is widely criticized.  Here is a free speech case:

Saudi king spares journalist lashes

Al-Yami has said she was not involved in the controversial episode of the talk show [EPA] Saudi Arabia’s king has pardoned a female journalist sentenced to 60 lashes for her role in a television show in which a Saudi man detailed his sexual exploits. A government official announced the pardon of Rosana Al-Yami, who had been charged with helping to produce the controversial programme, on Monday. “In this case, the flogging has been dropped,” Abdul-Rahman al-Hazzaa, an information ministry spokesman, said. He said that the case of al-Yami and another journalist would be transfered to a ministry committee for possible disciplinary action. Al-Yami told the Reuters news agency: “The king has vindicated me. I am satisfied with the king’s order and I accept the decisions of the sovereign.” – Read on

Just in from Al Jazeera English, who helped sponsor the conference. 

Arab journalists urge more freedom

The two-day workshop was organised jointly by Al Jazeera and Unesco  Arab journalists have deplored media censorship in their countries and called for greater freedom at a gathering held in the Qatari capital, Doha, to discuss freedom of speech in the region. The two-day forum that ended on Monday was organised by Al Jazeera’s Public Liberties & Human Rights department in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).  Speakers condemned tight censorship in Arab countries and blamed a censorship culture for poorly educated societies and generations ignorant of their rights and duties. However, they hailed modern technologies including the internet, saying they gave people a certain amount of freedom. – Read on

It would be nice if developed countries could hold themselves/each other to standards of justice and rule of law that they are trying to ‘democratize’ etc into developing nations.  In this case Israel should just open up to a full, transparent investigation.  It’s like Guantanamo:  it’s not so much whether you did torture or commit crimes (of course you did) but that you hold yourself above the law that really pisses people off and makes you lose credibility, esp as a nation trying to ‘eradicate terrorism’ etc. 

A UN investigation has recommended a process that could land Israel in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The probe, headed by former South African Judge Richard Goldstone, concludes that Israel “committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity” during its Gaza offensive in December last year.

It asks the UN Security Council to call on Israel to conduct “appropriate investigations,” to monitor them, and to refer the matter to the ICC if they’re deemed not to meet international standards.

The report found that the firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups also amounted to war crimes, and called for a similar process of accountability for the Gaza authorities.

But the 34-page summary devoted much less space to the Palestinian violations, and particularly slammed what it called Israel’s disproportionate use of force.

- Read on