Hikers denounce the American nightmare of detention in Iran

The two American backpackers who freed by Iran were accused of espionage have called Sunday a "nightmare" their 781 days of detention and protested their innocence, explaining that they had been "taken hostage" because they were Americans.

Back in New York, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, 29, both have told at a press conference that they had been kept "almost complete isolation for more than two years." During this "nightmare", only in a 9m2 cell, they could speak only "15 minutes in total to their families and have a short visit to their mother," he told Josh Fattal, still stumbling and moved steadily on his words.

"The solitary confinement was the worst experience of our lives," he said, recounting having heard "too often the screams of other prisoners being beaten."

"We had to follow several hunger strikes, just to be able to receive letters from our loved ones," he said, adding that they had lived in a world of "lies and false hopes," and were allowed to be "one hour a day."

Josh Fattal, who before his arrest at the border between Iran and Iraq in 2009 worked in sustainable development in Oregon (northwest), said they had been "taken hostage" for "the only reason that we are Americans. "

"It was clear from the very beginning that we were hostages," he said. "This is the term most just, because despite some knowledge of our innocence, Iran has always linked our case its political disputes with the United States."

Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer arrived Sunday in New York from Oman, where they had spent three days with their families after their release Wednesday of the Iranian prison of Evin.

The Sultanate has acted as a mediator in this matter and paid the deposit of $ 400,000 each demanded by the Iranian courts for their release.

"We're totally innocent," insisted Shane Bauer, who before his arrest was an independent journalist and lived in Syria with Sarah Shourd.

"No evidence has ever been made against us, because there is none, because we are completely innocent," he said, calling it a "total sham" their two appearances before an Iranian court.

"We do not know if we have crossed the Iran-Iraq border during our hike in July 2009, but even if we went in Iran, this was never the reason why the Iranian authorities have kept so long in Prison (...) We were convicted of espionage, because we are Americans. "

"The irony, he added, is that Sarah, Josh and I are hostile to U.S. policy toward Iran, that perpetuates hostility."

Young people, enthusiasts and hiking trips, were arrested July 31, 2009 at the Iran-Iraq border, during a hike in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer had been sentenced Aug. 21 to eight years in prison for "illegal entry into Iran" and "espionage", sentence they appealed.

Sarah Shourd was released in September 2010 for medical reasons after more than 400 days of detention.

Stressing "the cruelty of the Iranian government and non respect of human rights", Shane Bauer called "the liberation of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran, who deserve freedom as much as us." "How can we forgive when the Iranian government continues to imprison so many innocent people and prisoners of conscience", he queried.