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Not This Again: Three American Hikers Held in Iran for Illegal Entry

Where: Iran
August 1, 2009 at 1:30 PM | by | Comment (1)

This sounds somewhat familiar: three adventurous American hikers are being held by Iranian officials for straying off course during a recent trek in Iraqi Kurdistan and crossing into Iranian territory. USA Today reports that the hikers were in a mountainous area near the town of Ahmed Awaa on Friday when they mistakenly crossed the border, where Iranian troops surrounded them and took them into custody.

Details of the encounter are spotty, but a source in the Iranian Interior Ministry said the three hikers were picked up after they "failed to heed warnings" from border guards. That part sounds kind of weird to me, because what hiker in his right mind would ignore a warning from an Iranian border guard to turn around or be arrested? In any case, the incident brings to mind the March, 2009 arrest of American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee by North Korean guards for (allegedly) entering North Korean territory. Ling and Lee were found guilty of trespassing in a North Korean court and sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp, and currently remain a bargaining chip for the impoverished Hermit Kingdom as it continues its diplomatic dance with the western world. Here's hoping these American hikers don't meet the same fate.

As for the rest of you, check and double check your maps, compasses, and GPS units to make sure you don't accidentally stray into unfriendly territory on your next vacation. The U.S. State Department has bigger problems to deal with than disoriented hikers.

[Photo: voga.org]

Related Stories:
· Iranian TV Station Confirms Detainment of Three U.S. Tourists [USA Today]
· Border Coverage [Jaunted]

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Re: Failing to Heed Warnings

The early reports of Ling and Lee's arrest claimed they similarly failed to comply when North Korean border guard(s) ordered them (and cameraman-producer Mitch Koss) to stop filming. This has yet to be independently confirmed, but yes, it would seem crazy under any circumstance to ignore the instructions of Axis of Evil employees.
FilmStew FilmStew on August 1, 2009 at 8:29 PM #Permalink

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