Families of ‘Foreign Hostages’ in Iran Appeal to Global Community
Families of some foreign citizens who have been imprisoned in Iran on unrealistic charges by the Islamic Republic regime have united for the first time and appealed to world leaders on Wednesday in New York to return their loved ones to them.
Reuters reports that spouses, sisters, and children of detainees held as “hostages” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps say the world should not stand idle and allow Iran to continue imprisoning and torturing people on baseless espionage-related charges.
The families’ appeal coincided with the release of a research report by “TrustLaw” (a part of the Thomson Reuters Foundation) regarding deficiencies in international law to protect those held hostage abroad during peacetime, with the situation further complicated for citizens with dual nationality.
Baqer and Siamak Namazi, an American father and son of Iranian descent, Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen residing in America, Zhou Wang, an American of Chinese descent, and Robert Levinson, who disappeared from Kish Island in March 2007, are among individuals Washington refers to as imprisoned hostages in Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British citizen and employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was detained at Tehran Airport in April 2016 while leaving Iran with her young daughter and was later sentenced to five years in prison on espionage charges, is among British citizens imprisoned in Iran.
Western analysts say the Islamic Republic uses dual-nationality individuals as hostages to extract money and concessions from Western governments.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights concerning Iran in his latest report released about seven months ago expressed concern over the detention of dual nationals in Iran, stating that these arrests are deeply concerning and are a clear example of failure to follow legal procedures in Iran.
The White House announced in late June the appointment of “Robert C. O’Brien” as the special envoy of the President of the United States on matters related to American citizens held hostage abroad, saying his focus would be on leading Washington’s efforts and cooperating with other countries to free imprisoned Americans.
Source: Voice of America
