US Succeeds in Securing Release of American Hostage in Iran; Xiyue Wang on Way Back to America
According to reports from American media, on Saturday, December 7, 2019, Xiyue Wang, a US citizen, was transferred from Tehran to Zurich on a Swiss government aircraft. Brian Hook personally greeted him in Zurich.
Xiyue Wang was a doctoral student at Princeton University researching the Qajar period when he traveled to Iran in January 2016, but was detained by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the summer of that year.
The Islamic Republic of Iran sentenced Mr. Wang to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage under the guise of academic research. Mr. Wang’s family says he was conducting research for his doctoral dissertation in Iran.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced early Sunday morning US time the news of Xiyue Wang’s return, writing that we will not rest until all American detainees in Iran are freed.
Hua Kou, Xiyue Wang’s wife, also tweeted about the news of his release, thanking everyone who helped secure the freedom of this American hostage.
Several Americans remain imprisoned in Iran. On December 4, families of American and dual-national detainees called for pressure on the Islamic Republic to free their relatives.
Also, two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz, submitted a bill to the US Senate on November 5 that, if approved, would impose sanctions against foreign governments that take American citizens hostage.
On the fortieth anniversary of the takeover of the US embassy and the taking of American diplomats hostage by the Islamic Republic, November 5 of this year, Mike Pompeo met with families of former and current hostages in Iran and said at that ceremony that America demands the release and return of all hostages.
Source: Voice of America
