Milestones

  • PLEADED

    A closed-door trial of three Americans charged as spies began Feb. 6 in Iran. The three, who were arrested while hiking along the nation's border with Iraq in 2009, are accused of illegal entry and espionage. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who are in their late 20s and have been jailed in Tehran's Evin prison for 18 months, pleaded not guilty in court. A not-guilty plea was also entered for Sarah Shourd, Bauer's fiancée, who returned to the U.S. in September after being released on $500,000 bail. The hikers' attorney, Masoud Shafii, said he had been denied access to the men before the trial. While noting this in a joint statement, the families of Bauer and Fattal also said, "Now that the court has heard their testimony firsthand, we hope and pray that truth and justice will at long last prevail."