Homecoming 781 days in the making for freed hiker Josh Fattal

    It was a homecoming Saturday 781 days in the making for freed hiker Josh Fattal.

    The Elkins Park native who was detained in Iran was welcomed home Saturday to the hugs of more than 250 people.

    Philly.com reports the large crowd, which included U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), was on hand at Arcadia University in Glenside to welcome home Fattal.

    The crowd included members of FreeThehikers.org, a website created to help free Fattal, Shane Bauer and, at the time, Sarah Shourd. The three were detained on the Iran-Iraq border in 2009 and were accused of spying.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal