Pompeo Calls on Senior Tehran Officials to Release American Prisoners in Iran
The U.S. Secretary of State, in tweets published Sunday evening, January 20, referenced the hostage-taking of his country’s embassy staff in 1979 and called for the release of American prisoners in Iran.
Mike Pompeo wrote on his Twitter account: “38 years ago today, extremists in Iran released 52 American diplomats they held hostage for 444 days.”
He then added: “Iran still holds innocent Americans hostage.”
He then, addressing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s President and Foreign Minister, wrote that Tehran “must end its campaign of terror through hostage-taking” and on the anniversary of the 52 diplomats’ release, “immediately” release “Bob Levinson, Xiyue Wang, the Nazarizadehs and other hostages.”
38 years ago today, extremists in Iran released 52 American diplomats they held hostage for 444 days. Iran still holds innocent Americans hostage. pic.twitter.com/vqB2fQPnih
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 21, 2019
The hostage crisis in Iran lasted from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981. Pompeo’s reference to the 52 hostages represents the final group of U.S. embassy staff who were released on January 20.
Iranian officials have repeatedly called for the release of their country’s prisoners and green card holders from Iranian prisons. Islamic Republic officials have responded to these statements on various occasions.
Bob Levinson, a former FBI agent, disappeared years ago on Kish Island. Islamic Republic officials say they have no information about Levinson’s fate or whereabouts.
Xiyue Wang is a Chinese-American researcher at Princeton University. Iran’s judiciary convicted him of gathering information from “sensitive” and “archival” collections and sentenced him to ten years in prison. However, a United Nations working group announced in September that it had concluded there was “no legal basis for the detention and imprisonment” of Wang.
Baquer and Siamak Namazi were convicted of cooperating with “hostile foreign governments.” The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention described the Nazari family’s detention as a “violation of international law” a year ago and called on Iran to release them.
Source: Radio Farda
