Since their arrest last July by Iranian forces near the Iraq border, three Americans—Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd—have been at the center of a diplomatic struggle between Tehran and Washington.  Esther Kaplan, Editor of the Nation Institute’s Investigative Fund, has worked closely with Shane Bauer in the past.  This week, the Investigative Fund and The Nation broke the story that the detained hikers were most likely arrested in Iraqi territory, not in Iran.

Esther gives us her thoughts on the ongoing fight to win the hikers’ freedom and the role of investigative journalism in unearthing the full details of the situation.