Sarah Shourd Releases "Piece of Time" in Hopes of Freeing Hikers

Sarah Shourd's song "Piece of Time" and accompanying music video was recently posted on YouTube. It was released to coincide with the 17th month of imprisonment for her fiance, Shane Bauer, and friend, Josh Fattal who are jailed in Iran.

The two hikers, along with Shourd were taken into custody in July 2009 when they were hiking near the Iranian border. The Iranian forces accused them of intentionally crossing over the border and charged them with spying. Shourd was freed on bail for health reasons in Sept. after nearly 14 months in the Tehran prison.

Sarah Shourd's song "Piece of Time" was one of many she said she wrote while in solitary confinement and sang to her fiance, Shane Bauer, and their friend, Josh Fattal. She hopes the song will build support for the release of her friends who are still jailed in Iran.

A trail date had been set for the three American hikers who are charged with spying, but was later postponed because a summons had not been issued for Shourd to return to the country and appear in court. It has now been tentatively reset for sometime in early 2011.

The three hikers are claiming that they were actually detained inside Iraq and forced to cross the border. They said they did not actually enter Iran until they were gestured to by their captors. The United States government says the three are innocent and have been trying to negotiate their release since they were captured almost one and half years ago.

Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd's fiance, is a native of Pine City, Minnesota, which is located about 20 miles up the road from where I reside, so as one can imagine this sad story is very close to the hearts of all of us living in this close-knit community.

The three accused hikers met when Fattal and Bauer were attending the University of California, Berkeley. Earlier in the year the mothers of the detained hikers were allowed to go to Iran and visit their children and had hopes of bringing them back to the U.S. with them. Unfortunately that didn't happen and the disappointed mothers returned back home without their beloved children. That has not stopped them though, from continuing their efforts to free their imprisoned sons.

Shourd"s song "Piece of Time" will hopefully continue to keep the focus on the efforts to release her fiance Shane Bauer and his friend Josh Fattal and by this time next year, the holiday season may be a little brighter for all of them.

source:Kstp.com/eyewitness news