Relatives of Americans Imprisoned in Iran Testify Before U.S. House of Representatives

Relatives of Americans who are imprisoned in Iran or have gone missing in the country testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, urging the Obama administration to pressure the Iranian government during nuclear negotiations to secure their release. The four American citizens mentioned include Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent, Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post journalist in Tehran, Saeed Abedini, a Christian convert, and Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine, with no news about Levinson's fate. An Associated Press report on Tuesday, June 2, reflected the statements of several members of the U.S. House of Representatives during a hearing where the families of these four Americans emphasized that if the Islamic Republic does not release them immediately, they cannot trust the Iranian government regarding any potential nuclear agreement and its terms. Among these representatives was Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who expressed doubt that Iran would adhere to any potential nuclear agreement. The report then highlights the remarks of Daniel Levinson, Robert Levinson's son, in the U.S. House, stating that his father has been unable to witness the birth of three of his grandchildren during this time. He said, 'Not a day goes by that we don't think of him; how much must he suffer, and what more can we do to bring him back?' Daniel Levinson then referred to the upcoming nuclear negotiations and urged the U.S. government to pressure Iran to find his father. Previously, Barack Obama, the U.S. President, had asked Iranian officials to cooperate in finding and returning Robert Levinson, who has been missing since 2007 when he traveled to Kish Island. The Associated Press further reports on the statements of Jason Rezaian's brother, Saeed Abedini's wife, and Amir Hekmati's sister in the U.S. House. Ali Rezaian emphasized that all charges against his brother are baseless. The court hearing for Jason Rezaian's charges was held behind closed doors on June 25, which the U.S. reacted negatively to, calling the charges 'absurd.' Rezaian has been accused of 'espionage.' Previously, the U.S. Senate had also issued a resolution calling on Iranian officials to release Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, and Amir Hekmati and to cooperate in finding Robert Levinson. Saeed Abedini was arrested in October 2012 on charges of 'forming house churches with the intent to disrupt public security' in Tehran and was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison. Barack Obama visited his family recently. Amir Hekmati was also arrested during a trip to Iran in 2011. The initial court sentenced him to death on espionage charges, which was later reduced to ten years in prison. In this context, the U.S. has increased the reward for information about Levinson to five million dollars. The European Parliament has called for the release of the Iranian-American pastor. The U.S. House of Representatives has called for the release of the imprisoned pastor in Iran. The family of Saeed Abedini stated that there are no more pressure tactics left for his release. Amir Hekmati's sister expressed her concerns about her brother's situation in a letter to the Red Cross. The U.S. Senate has asked Iran to cooperate in finding Levinson. The family of Hekmati released a statement ahead of Rouhani's visit to the U.S. The U.S. rejected the proposal for 'the exchange of Amir Hekmati.'