© Handout . / Reuters
In their first appearance since being jailed more than three months ago, Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle asked the U.S. government on Friday for help to secure their release. “The horizon for me is pretty dark,” Fowle said. “I don’t know what the worst-case scenario would be, but I need help to extricate myself from this situation. I ask the government for help in that regards.” The two said they were in good health, being treated well, and were allowed to take daily walks. However, they believe that when they go on trial, their situation will get worse and they could be in for long prison terms. The two American tourists have been charged with “anti-state” crimes, but it is not clear what they did that was hostile or illegal.