Families of American Prisoners in Iran: White House Should Show More Effort

On the twelfth anniversary of Robert Levinson's disappearance on Kish Island, and while several American citizens or green card holders remain imprisoned in Iran, relatives of some of these individuals called for greater efforts from the White House to secure their loved ones' freedom. The statements from these families were made on Thursday, March 7, during a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee titled 'The Status of American Hostages in Iran.' The committee meeting featured three family members of prisoners: Christian Levinson, whose husband Robert disappeared in March 2007 on Kish Island; Babak Namazi, whose father and brother, Baquer and Siamak, were arrested years ago in Iran; and Omar Zaka, whose father Nizar Zaka has been imprisoned in Iran for four years on charges of 'espionage.' According to the Washington Post, Ms. Levinson noted that during this time three completely different presidents have taken office in the U.S., but hope for her husband's return has not increased at all, stating: 'The Trump administration needs to prioritize this issue and bring my husband home.' Babak Namazi also urged the White House to engage in 'direct dialogue on this matter with Tehran,' asserting: 'Dialogue is the only way. We have even brought our hostages home from countries we feared we might go to war with. I mean North Korea.' Omar Zaka, son of Nizar Zaka, a Lebanese citizen with U.S. residency (green card) who has been imprisoned in Iran for four years, expressed that he would be pleased if Donald Trump mentioned his father's name and called for his release. In recent years, the issue of American citizens imprisoned in Iran has frequently been raised in the media or by U.S. officials. During nuclear negotiations with Iran, several officials from the Obama administration stated that the issue of these prisoners was part of the discussions. According to the Washington Post, during Thursday's meeting, Christian Levinson and Babak Namazi spoke 'bitterly' about the Obama era. Ms. Levinson emphasized that 'the Obama administration had eight years to bring Baquer home but failed.' She added, 'I hope President Trump does not follow this pattern.' Babak Namazi criticized the prisoner exchange that occurred on the very day the JCPOA was implemented, expressing strong discontent that his brother Siamak was not among those released. Upon the implementation of the JCPOA on January 16, 2016, Iranian judicial officials released four American prisoners, including Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Nasratollah Khosravi. Iranian media reported at that time that seven Iranians imprisoned in the U.S. for violating sanctions were also released. Babak Namazi noted the family's disappointment that Siamak was not among those freed, stating that a few weeks after that incident, his father went to Tehran to visit Siamak, but Iranian officials took him hostage as well. Baquer Namazi has been out of prison since last year due to his health condition, but Iranian authorities do not allow him to leave the country. Babak Namazi expressed concern for his 82-year-old father's health, stating they do not want to see him after he falls into a coma or, worse, after he passes away. Besides Robert Levinson, whose fate remains unknown, Siamak Namazi, a Princeton researcher named Xiyou Wang, and Nizar Zaka are currently American citizens or residents imprisoned in Iran. Karen Vafadari, another Iranian-American citizen, was released on bail in July this year after two years of imprisonment along with her husband, Afrin Nissari. There is no precise information on the number of dual nationals imprisoned in Iran; however, the names of several dual nationals from other countries have also been published in the media in recent years. These dual nationals include Nazanin Zaghari, Abbas Edalat, and Kamal Foroughi, British-Iranian citizens; Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian resident; Kamran Ghadiari, an Iranian-Australian; and Ahmadreza Jalali, a Swedish resident.