Ahmed Awa is a popular region in Iraq for hiking / Image credit Jamie Wilmore and Tyler Wagner

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Update 2/3/10 @ 10:30 a.m. - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has proposed a prisoner swap of Iranians in U.S. prisons for three American hikers being held in Tehran. Ahmadinejad said in a television interview Tuesday that talks were under way about possibly exchanging the hikers for Iranians in the United Sates. Samantha Topping, a New York City-based spokeswoman for the three families, said they had no comment on Ahmadinejad’s remarks.

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A senior Iranian prosecutor says the three Americans detained in July were involved in espionage. It’s not known whether formal charges have been filed in the Iranian courts, but it does suggest that the government is planning to put them on trial.

The three include Josh Fattal, an Elkins Park, PA native, who most recently was living in Oregon. On July 31 the trio called a friend to report that they had accidentally strayed into Iran and were surrounded by Iranian border guards.  Since that time the three have been detained in Iran.

The area the three Americans were hiking

Yesterday U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a plea for the three Americans to be released. “We believe strongly that there is no evidence to support any charge whatsoever.” Last Thursday, Nov 5, She met with the families of the three detained hikers Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fatta.

Here’s her public comments she made to reporters about that meeting. The transcript comes from the U.S. Secretary of State’s website.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

November 5, 2009

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, I wanted to ask you for updates on two issues that have to do with Iran. The first one is the hikers with whose families you just met today. If you can tell us what you heard, what you told them, and what’s the course from here.

And the second on the negotiations in the P-5+1 group, you say, on one hand, that you want to work this out diplomatically, you want to keep negotiating; but on the other hand, you are saying that the proposal as it is, it’s not up for discussion. So what is to negotiate, and how do you reconcile those two things? And perhaps the minister would like to comment on the Iran question, too.
Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say that earlier today I met with the families of the three American hikers who are detained in Iran. These three young people are obviously not only on the minds of their family members but on the minds of all of us. It was an emotional meeting, and I described to the families everything that we are doing. I was impressed by their strength and fortitude and their commitment. They are determined, as we are, to see these young people return home.
As a mother, my heart went out to all of them. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to know that your child was imprisoned for now a hundred days with very little contact between you and them. I told them we were doing everything we possibly could to get Shane and Joshua and Sarah home, and we are exploring every angle. Obviously, I would hope that the Government of Iran would free them on a humanitarian and compassionate basis as soon as possible and return them home to their families.
On the second issue, we have a unified position that we have presented to the Iranians. That position is clear. It was agreed to originally in principle by the Iranians. There were, of course, questions that they were asking about the details that stood behind the agreement, which both the IAEA and our experts have been answering. But the terms of the agreement, the heart of the agreement, is not and will not be altered. And that is why we continue to call on the Iranian Government to go ahead and accept this agreement and begin to implement it, which we think is in the best interests of the Iranians as well as the rest of the world.
And finally, the point to make is that this offer has been made in good faith. We have worked hard to make sure that there was no misunderstanding about the offer. And we continue to hope that the Iranians will accept it, but our patience is not unlimited.