Freed hikers support Occupy movement

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Three Americans who were imprisoned in Iran and accused of espionage are lending their support to activists with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd spoke Monday at the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall where activists have been sleeping in tents for the past week.

The three University of California, Berkeley graduates said they are inspired by the Wall Street protests and also thankful to the people who advocated for their release.

The three were arrested by Iranian authorities in July 2009 while hiking near the Iran Iraq border and accused of being spies. Shourd was released in September 2010 and Fatal and Bauer were released last month.

They also voiced their support for California prisoners who have gone on a hunger strike to protest the practice of putting inmates in long term solitary confinement.