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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > IRANIAN CAMPING INDUSTRY TAKES HIT AFTER AMERICANS CONVICTED ON HIKING CHARGES
IRANIAN CAMPING INDUSTRY TAKES HIT AFTER AMERICANS CONVICTED ON HIKING CHARGES
August 22 2011
Tehran, Iran – It seems strange that the fates of two nations, unconnected by history, culture, religion, or any other discernable similarities would have as much an impact on one another as the U.S. and Iran have had. For most of the twentieth century, the two nations were intertwined in a strange and shady relationship, one which has created a kind of monster in the Persian republic.
Two U.S. hikers learned the power and danger of that complex relationship on Saturday after learning that they would spend the next eight years in prison for crossing into Iranian territory in 2009. The two men, unlikely spies to be sure, have become the latest pawns in the strange relationship between their country and Iran, and their convictions may not be the end of the problems.
All along, the men have insisted that they were simply hiking in Iraq when they accidentally crossed into Iranian territory, where they were spotted by soldiers and promptly arrested. While their conviction may just seem to be another dark chapter in the relations between the two nations, it is perhaps Iran itself which has been most harmed by the case, laying waste to the struggling camping and hiking industry which had already been struggling for years.
“This was the worst news we have had. We had all been hoping that these men would be freed, or at the very least receive light sentences. This is the worst possible outcome that we could have had,” said the owner of a local camping supply store who preferred to remain anonymous. “We had been having troubles before these arrests but when they happened everything collapsed. The demand for everything has dropped. We may not survive much longer.”
At least two hundred Iranians have also been jailed for spying while hiking in their own country in the last year.
“People are scared. They are scared to go camping, they are scared to go hiking. They are scared to travel outside their cities for fear of being arrested and that very much hurts our business. People simply do not want to go to jail and so they do not go camping or hiking,” continued the owner. “Our sales to foreigners have been totally absent recently and that is likely only going to get worse now. They were always great for business because so many came unprepared that they needed to buy everything, but now that is gone, perhaps forever.”
The two men, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, were not allowed to bring their hiking gear into prison.
“We think it will be difficult to ever recover from this. It is not only the shops, it is also the tourist guides. These people have also been hurt by this trial. It is totally unfair and irrational but we cannot only blame the government for such a thing. If these men had arranged their trip through us they would not have had these problems,” continued the owner. “This a good lesson for all hikers, that they should spend the extra money and arrange their trips through authorized agents in order to avoid these types of situations. We offer these services and we guarantee that you will remain prison-free, provided of course that you do not spy.”
A third person, Sarah Shourd, was convicted in absentia after booting it back to the States.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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