US hiker will not go to Iran for trial

Sarah Shourd says she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and going back to Iran would be too traumatic An American woman released from prison in Iran has said she will not return there to stand trial alongside two fellow hikers charged with spying for the US. Sarah Shourd said she has post-traumatic stress disorder and going back to Iran would be “far too traumatic after what I’ve already been through”. The three Americans deny illegally entering the country and espionage, a charge that can carry the death penalty. They said they were on an innocent hiking trip during a vacation in Kurdistan, in the north of Iraq, when they were arrested by Iranian soldiers on 31 July 2009. Shourd was freed on bail in September 2010 on health grounds, and returned to the United States. Her fiance, Shanee Bauer, and friend Josh Fattal, both still imprisoned in Tehran, are due to start a second session of their trial on 11 May. Bauer and Fattal pleaded innocent at a first trial and Shourd denied the charges in absentia. They say they did not realise they had crossed into Iran. Shourd said they had visited the tourist village of Ahmed Awa and then hiked along a trail that local people had recommended. “When Shane and Josh and I met the Iranian soldiers, we were completely shocked. There was absolutely no indication of a border.” Shourd said she was diagnosed with the stress disorder by a clinical forensic psychologist and the five-page evaluation had been sent to the Iranian revolutionary court. She had not had a response to her refusal to go back for trial on the grounds that she risked “renewed or even worse psychological problems” if she returns. “My own mental health makes me even more afraid for what is happening with Shane and Josh,” Shourd said. “I was there for 14 months and Shane and Josh have now been there for over 21 months. I can’t imagine the toll it’s taken on them.” Shourd, 32, had been living with Bauer, a freelance journalist, in Damascus where she taught English. Fattal, an environmentalist, then joined them in Damascus for a holiday. Bauer and Shourd became engaged after they were arrested. Iran Middle East United States US foreign policy David Batty guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 4, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.