Families of "foreign hostages" in Iran demand from the international community
Families of some foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran on false charges by the Islamic Republic's regime have come together for the first time and on Wednesday in New York asked world leaders for help in bringing their loved ones back to them.
Reuters reports that the wives, sisters and children of prisoners held "hostage" by the Revolutionary Guards say the world should not stand by and allow Iran to continue imprisoning and torturing people on trumped-up charges of espionage.
The families' request coincides with the publication of a study by TrustLaw, part of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, on the shortcomings of international law to protect those taken hostage outside their countries in peacetime, with the situation being more complicated for citizens with dual citizenship.
Baqer and Siamak Namazi, father and son of Iranian-American descent, Nizar Zaka, a Lebanese citizen living in the United States, Zhiyu Wang, an American of Chinese descent, as well as Robert Levinson, who has been missing on Kish Island since March 2007, are among those whom Washington calls hostages imprisoned in Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British citizen and employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 while leaving Iran with her young daughter and was later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of espionage. She is among the British citizens imprisoned in Iran.
Western analysts say the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and privileges from Western governments.
In his latest report, published about seven months ago, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran expressed concern about the imprisonment of dual nationals in Iran, saying that these arrests are a cause for deep concern and a clear example of the failure to follow legal procedures in Iran.
The White House announced in late July the appointment of Robert C. O'Brien as the US President's Special Representative for American Citizens Held Hostages Abroad, saying his focus would be on leading Washington's efforts and working with other countries to free captive Americans.
Source: Voice of America
