Mothers of Jailed Hikers Leave Without Children

The mothers of three jailed Americans in Iran have returned to the U.S. without their children, and one said, “the pain is almost more than we can bear.” The three American hikers have been detained in Tehran for the past 10 months after allegedly crossing over the Iranian border during a hiking trip in Iraq. This visit by their mothers marked the first time they have been allowed to see their families since their arrest. Iranian officials say the visit was allowed for humanitarian purposes, dashing hopes that the three prisoners, Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer, and Josh Fattal, might be allowed to return home with their mothers. Two Iranian nationals have been released from U.S. detention in Iraq this week, raising speculation that the move may be a trade-off for the hikers’ release, and a lawyer for the three said the development “may have some diplomatic effect on this case.”