Two of the detained American hikers get engaged while in prison

Bauer, Shourd
This undated file photo, released by freethehikers.org, Aug. 20, 2009, shows missing American hikers, Shane Bauer, left, and Sarah Shourd.
Anonymous/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two of the American hikers being held in Iran are engaged to be married.

Minnesota native Shane Bauer asked Sarah Shourd to marry him and even made a ring out of threads from his shirt for her to wear, Shourd's mother told ABC's Good Morning America on Monday.

The two had been dating before they were arrested last July after crossing over the border to Iran while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan. They were with a third friend, Josh Fattal, who is also being held. Fattal will be the best man at their wedding.

The mothers of the three hikers finally got a chance to visit their children last week. Nora Shourd confirmed her daughter and Bauer planned to marry as the three mothers were interviewed on Good Morning America.

"They're going to get married as soon as they have their freedom," Shourd said. "They've been in love for a long time."

It still isn't clear when the three will be released. The mothers didn't meet with Iranian authorities during their visit, and Fattal, Shourd and Bauer haven't been able to meet with their lawyer.

Iranian authorities accuse the three of spying.

"They're very strong but the fact is that they're afraid," said Bauer's mother Cindy Hickey, who lives in Pine City, Minn. "They know it's going to end, they believe they're going to be out, but it's scary for them to wonder how long this is going to take."

Hickey said she's excited her son is engaged, but she said they won't be able to carry on with their lives until they're released.

"They love each other very much," she said. "They've gone through a lot together."