Washington — Families of Americans wrongfully detained in foreign countries called on the Biden administration to take immediate action to bring their loved ones home and to provide more information about their wellbeing.
At a Foreign Affairs Committee roundtable on Tuesday, nine relatives and representatives of Americans detained in Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Russia, China, and Nigeria shared their stories and concerns. They expressed frustration with the lack of progress and support from the US government in securing the release of their loved ones.
Among those present was Gazelle Sharmahd, whose father, Jamshid Sharmahd, has been held hostage in Iran for three years and is currently on death row. Despite repeated pleas, the US government has failed to engage with the family or provide any updates on his case.
Jamshid Sharmahd, a U.S. resident of Iranian origin, was sentenced to death in Iran for allegedly being involved in a 2008 explosion that killed 14 people. However, he has always denied these charges. His appeal in front of Iran’s Supreme Court is still pending.
His daughter Gazelle Sharmahd expressed her concerns about the lack of information about her father’s whereabouts and condition. “My concerns are whether my father is alive or not, and the U.S. government being able to provide proof about his whereabouts and his conditions,” she told VOA.
Maryam Kamalmaz, daughter of Majd Kamalmaz, an American psychologist who went missing in Syria in 2017, also expressed her frustration at the lack of communication from the Syrian government. “As of right now the Syrian government is holding him, however, we have not been able to hear his voice for the past seven years,” she said.
The absence of her father has had a profound impact on their family, Maryam shared. “It’s been an absolute nightmare. You know, you do not realize how special a person is until they are gone. My father completed our family, he was the glue to our family. In my daily life, everything he taught me is echoing in my ears,” she said.
Debra Tice, mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012, also highlighted the urgent need for action. She expressed her concern about HR 3202, a bill which prevents any engagements with Syria and prohibits any US company from doing business with the country. The bill is currently at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“We need to have our families back. This is not a political issue, this is a humanitarian issue,” she said.
The families’ pleas for help have not gone unheard by the US government. In a statement issued on the 10th anniversary of Austin Tice’s captivity, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the government’s commitment to bringing home all US hostages and wrongful detainees.
“As the president said directly to the Tice family, we will continue to pursue all available avenues to bring Austin home and work tirelessly until we succeed in doing so,” he said.
In a recently issued executive order, President Joe Biden declared a national emergency to deal with the threat of wrongful detention. “I therefore determine that hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” the order stated. “I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with this threat.”
The families of these wrongfully detained Americans have been living in agony for years, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. It is imperative for the US government to take immediate and effective action to bring them home and provide them with the necessary support to recover from their traumatic experiences.
The roundtable on Tuesday highlighted the urgent need for the Biden administration to prioritize the release of these Americans and to provide transparency and support to their families. It is crucial for the US government to take a strong stance against the practice of wrongful detention and work towards ensuring the safe return of all American citizens being held captive. The time to act is now.
