Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal face Iran trial this week

Shane Bauer is from Onamia. His mother lives in Pine City.

One of three Americans arrested two years ago while hiking in the mountains of Kurdistan on the Iranian border, Bauer has been stuck in a prison near Tehran ever since.

An international diplomatic effort has dragged on for month for the 28-year-old freelance journalist's release, along with friend Josh Fattal, 28, of Pennsylvania. His fiance, Sarah Shourd, was released last fall.

All three had gone to the mountains in Kurdistan, an autonomus region of Iraq, for some hiking and camping when they were arrested by Iranian police after allegedly crossing the border illegally. Bauer and Shourd were living in Syria at the time -- she was teaching English -- and Fattal was visiting from the U.S.

Bauer and Fattal declared their innocence at a hearing in February. The pair will now appear in Tehran Revolutionary Court on what supporters call trumped-up charges, and it's not at all clear whether they stand any chance of release.

Previously:

• Shane Bauer embraces mom after 10 months in an Iranian prison
• Iranians may have arrested hiker Shane Bauer on Iraqi territory
• Shane Bauer will remain in Iranian prison, Sarah Shourd released
• Sarah Shourd says hikers report on WikiLeaks is wrong
• Shane Bauer placed Thanksgiving call to mom in Pine City
• Sarah Shourd describes Shane Bauer's marriage proposal