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MINNEAPOLIS — The families of three Americans accused of espionage in Iran are attempting the delicate feat of keeping a spotlight trained on the plight of their loved ones while trying to avoid the tangled politics of the tense U.S.-Iran relationship.
Even as the Americans’ captivity passed 100 days this week, the families of Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, together have orchestrated a sophisticated public relations campaign that has included joint family statements, a Web site, an online petition, even a logo. And they have been careful not to criticize Iran or its leaders, instead repeating requests for compassion and leniency for three young people they say simply went astray when they crossed into Iran while on a hike in a part of northern Iraq popular with tourists."We just keep re-emphasizing, for good reason, their innocence," Josh Fattal’s mother, Laura Fattal of suburban Philadelphia, said Tuesday. "We reiterate their academic studies, their personal relationships with so many people around the world. . . . We’re responding thoughtfully, we believe."The espionage accusation was the first signal that Tehran intends to put the trio on trial, raising concerns they could be used as bargaining chips during deadlocked negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.
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