Vacation video shows US Iran hikers innocent

Who travels to Iraq and Iran for an adventure fun weekend? Seriously? These kids are in our prayers but if you want to have a fun and uneventful weekend like not being imprisoned for an illegal border crossing. Try a National Park even if it borders Canada, and you accidentally cross I can assure you that you will not be tortured, imprisoned or beheaded.

NEW YORK — Video shot just before three US citizens were arrested while entering Iran from Iraq demonstrates they were just innocent vacationers and should be released, supporters said Tuesday.

Two video clips, shot by a fourth hiker, who was not arrested, show the trio joking and singing while in Iraqi Kurdistan two days before they were caught by Iranian authorities for allegedly making an illegal border crossing.

The families of the detained Americans — Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd — said they would give the video to the Iranian mission at the United Nations.

“If ever there was even the slightest doubt that we were in Iraqi Kurdistan to relax and have fun, this should surely remove it,” said Shon Meckfessel, the fourth person in the group, who was not present when the other three were arrested.

“Shane, Sarah and Josh shouldn’t still be in jail in Iran three months later. I hope the Iranian authorities see these clips, realize my friends are harmless young people who may have made a simple mistake and let them come home,” he said.

Family members have not had access to the detained Americans but diplomats from Switzerland, which represents Washington’s interests in Tehran, were allowed last month to meet with the them.

Relatives of the three travelers said they strayed in the poorly marked border area while on an adventure holiday on July 31.

Iran’s authorities say they are not yet satisfied about the Americans’ intentions in the area.

The video can be viewed at http://freethehikers.org/?page_id=1100.