The mothers of three young U.S. hikers detained in Iran have issued a fresh appeal for their immediate release.
In an exclusive interview Thursday with VOA's Persian News Network, the three mothers said they plan a series of events to call attention to the plight of their children before the first anniversary of their capture.
The hikers, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, were arrested on July 31, 2009, along the Iran-Iraq border. They are being held in Tehran's Evin prison.
The families say the three were on a hiking trip and may have accidentally strayed across the border into Iran. Iranian officials have accused the three of spying, but the families say they are innocent.
The mother of Sarah Shourd told VOA there has been almost no information about the trio. She said she is very concerned about her daughter, who has been in solitary confinement for almost a year.
Josh Fattal's mother said she wanted the Iranian authorities to know "there is an injustice going on and our kids should come home."