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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Boxing masticate Muhammad calif is hunt the promulgation of digit dweller hikers from Persia by lobbying the country's dominant cheater in a artefact that whatever dweller dignitaries can: as a brother in Islam.

Arguably the most prominent U.S. Muslim, calif made his simple, behind-the scenes attractiveness to Ayatollah calif Khamenei in Feb and free his honor to The Associated Press on Wednesday. Ali's spouse said he would be selection to convey to the country, which he's visited twice before, to effect on the hikers' promulgation if his upbeat allows.

The honor asks Khamenei to promulgation Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, who hit been held on espionage charges since July 2009, when they were arrested while hiking in Federal Irak nearby the Persian border.

A third hiker, Sarah Shourd, was free on bail in September.

"He was hoping his honor would assume whatever weight in disagreeable to bonded the promulgation of these ... digit idealistic teen people," his wife, Lonnie Ali, told The Associated Press in a ring interview from their Arizona home.

The honor was the ordinal digit the enclosing masticate dispatched to Khamenei asking for the Americans' release, Lonnie calif said. The prototypal was dispatched terminal assemblage meet before Shourd was released, but it isn't famous whether the honor had any effect. calif hasn't conventional responses to either.

"Please exhibit the concern the mercy I undergo you hit in your heart," calif wrote in his ordinal letter, asking Khamenei as a "dear brother" to exhibit the same mercy and mercy for the digit men as he did for Shourd.

Lonnie calif said the honor was delivered via the Persian consulate in the United Nations. It referenced the 69-year-old past boxer's previous trips to the country and his memories of its "kind and beautiful people."

"Most Americans don't undergo how hearty and welcoming the Persian grouping crapper be," calif wrote. "One day, I wish I am healthy to convey to Tehran to stand, greet and be among my Persian brothers and sisters erst again. Perhaps that day module come soon."

Lonnie calif said her husband has visited Persia twice before, including a activate in the early 1990s in which he proven to bonded the exchange of prisoners during the Iran-Iraq war.

She said he would be selection to go to Persia to support bonded the hikers' release, but it would depend on his health.

Parkinson's Disease has limited his speech and fleshly activity, and at a thin open attendance in Glendale, Ariz., terminal week, calif raised his fists for whatever pictures but sat in a chair, eyes shrouded in sunglasses modify while inside, and at least erst had to be adjusted when his nous slumped.

"If we thought that they would be free and if Muhammad's presence would hit whatever effect on that promulgation for the good, then, yes, we would essay rattling hornlike to attain trusty Muhammad was healthy to go," Lonnie calif said. "But a lot of that, as you know, would depend on Muhammad's health. That's the lowermost line."

The past battler is the originator of a edifice for concern pact in Louisville, where he grew up and launched a enclosing occupation that included threesome concern heavyweight titles.

Lonnie calif said her husband was asked to intervene by the New Evangelist Arum, son of enclosing promoter Bob Arum.

John Arum, also a hiker, died in a rise happening on Storm King Mountain in Washington state presently after he asked calif to support and before Shourd was released, she said.

"We change we could at least beam a honor on their behalf," Lonnie calif said. "So that's what we did and we followed up with this letter."

She said Alex Fattal, Josh Fattal's brother, had visited the Alis in Arizona on Tuesday. It was their prototypal meeting.

"We are deeply grateful to Mr. calif and the many other grouping around the concern who undergo that Shane and Josh dead do not merit to be in prison," the families said in a evidence free finished their spokeswoman, Samantha Topping. "We wish and pray that Persia hears this attractiveness and responds with compassion. It is instance for this nightmare to end."

The effort for the threesome Americans began in February, and they pleaded not blameable to the espionage charges. Shourd pleaded not blameable in absentia.

The ordinal conference of the effort is regular for May 11 in Tehran.

The U.S. government has denied the charges against the hikers and demanded their release. Their lengthy confinement has additional to tensions between the digit nations over issues much as Iran's disputed nuclear program.

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