Zhao You Wang: Islamic Republic Regime Has Consistently Disregarded International Norms; Ending Hostage-Taking Must Be a Prerequisite for Any Agreement with Iran
Zhao You Wang, an American academic researcher who was imprisoned in Iran for 40 months, says Iran should not be allowed to engage in hostage-taking without punishment and continue with this practice.
Zhao You Wang, who was released last year through the efforts of former President Donald Trump’s administration and returned to the United States, wrote in an article published by Bloomberg on Monday, December 17, that exactly one year ago on this day he was freed from Iran and was placed in a prisoner exchange as an American hostage.
He wrote that he left Iran having learned that “the Iranian regime stubbornly maintains hostility toward the West, particularly toward America, and abhors diplomacy.”
Zhao You Wang says that at least 11 other foreign nationals whose names have been made public are imprisoned in Iran. According to him, eight of them are in prison and three are under house arrest.
Zhao You Wang, referring to Ahmad Reza Jalali, a Swedish-Iranian researcher who has been sentenced to death in Iran, says he was a cellmate of Mr. Jalali. According to Mr. Wang, this death sentence was activated on the eve of the trial of an Iranian diplomat in Europe charged with attempting a bombing in 2018.
Zhao You Wang, in another section of his article, referring to the case of Ms. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, says that when a foreign hostage is released to his country, “the regime simply arrests new hostages to replenish its reserve. This vicious cycle repeats itself.”
According to this researcher, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy of hostage-taking and hostility toward diplomacy began from the time of its formation and the takeover of the American embassy. Mr. Wang says the Islamic Republic regime has consistently disregarded international norms and has repeatedly rejected the use of diplomacy and dialogue as a tool to resolve differences between countries.
Zhao You Wang says foreign academics, independent merchants, journalists, and sometimes tourists are the targets of the regime’s “hostage-taking policy” because usually no one inside Iran knows them and they lack political support.
This researcher has asked the international community, including the United States and European countries, Britain, Canada, and Australia, to cooperate in increasing targeted sanctions and, through a multilateral agreement, stop hostage-taking in Iran. He says that stopping hostage-taking by the Islamic Republic must be a prerequisite for any future political agreement.
