As the flag commemorating the first National Hostage Day is raised, families continue to hold out hope for a meeting with President Biden.
Washington — On Saturday, the U.S. is marking its first National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. Bipartisan legislation signed into law by President Biden established March 9 as a day of remembrance for Americans wrongfully held overseas.
The Hostages and Unlawfully Detained Persons Awareness Act was proposed and guided through the legislative process by Representatives Haley Stevens and French Hill, as well as Senator Chris Coons, in the previous year. Along with its passing, the act also established a national flag to represent wrongfully detained Americans and hostages. This flag was hoisted for the first time outside the State Department on Friday morning, alongside the American flag. The flag features a black and yellow design, reminiscent of the POW/MIA flag that represents American prisoners of war and those who are missing in action.
State Dept. Flickr account
A few ex-hostages and their relatives were present at the event of raising the flag, along with State Department representatives. They stood with families of individuals who are still unfairly imprisoned in foreign countries.
Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007 and became the longest-held American hostage in history. In March 2020, U.S. officials told the Levinson family that they had intelligence indicating Robert had died in captivity in Iran.
“For the past 17 years, it has been a dreadful day for us. As we fought for the recognition of this day and the official adoption of the flag, we seized the chance to transform a tremendously negative event into a source of positivity for our country,” shared Levinson Moriarty with CBS News.
According to Levinson Moriarty, the flag can be raised on a few special occasions throughout the year, specifically March 9 for Hostage Day, June 14 for Flag Day, and July 4 for Independence Day. Additionally, it can also be displayed to mark the death or return of a hostage from abroad.
She expressed that it would bring significance to her father if he knew that his suffering and pain served a purpose, and that both our family and our country have been able to use his experience to assist others and stop similar situations from occurring in the future.
The creator of the flag, David Ewald, is a professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. According to CBS News, the families of those who were wrongly detained played a part in designing the flag’s unique yellow and black pattern, which features two rows of tally marks that symbolize the passage of time for detainees. Ewald expressed surprise at seeing the flag finally fly and described it as a significant symbol.
Following the raising of the flag, numerous families made their way to Lafayette Square in front of the White House to participate in a sit-in protest. This demonstration was one of many organized by the grassroots group, Bring Our Families Home, urging the president to engage with them and calling for increased efforts from the government to reunite them with their family members.
Harrison Li, the son of 61-year-old Kai Li, stated that his father was taken while Joe Biden served as vice president. Kai Li has been unjustly held in China since 2012, making it a notably lengthy period.
Kai Li
“Alongside Mark Swidan and David Lin, Harrison Li is among the three U.S. citizens who are currently being held in China despite being wrongfully detained. Li serves as a co-chair for Bring Our Families Home, an organization that was created after the president met with the parents of Trevor Reed, a former Marine Corps veteran who was detained in Russia in 2019. Reed was ultimately released in a prisoner exchange only a month after the meeting, causing some families of other hostages to question if they were receiving similar treatment from the U.S. government.”
Harrison Li stated that the cases in China have been notoriously lengthy. He acknowledges the dedication of some individuals, but he believes that the primary hurdle is the abundance of conflicting opinions and red tape. Li perceives that there are many people who are uncertain about the best course of action, resulting in a standstill. This is one of the main reasons why he hopes to meet with the president – to potentially alleviate this standstill.
He then stated, “In light of current events and efforts to improve relations between China and the U.S., it’s reasonable to assume that if we succeeded in extracting Trevor Reed and Brittney Griner from Russia during the Ukraine crisis, we could also rescue Americans from China.”
Neda Sharghi, the previous leader of Bring Our Families Home, had a personal connection to the cause as her brother, Emad Shargi, had been detained in Iran for a number of years. At a busy Persian New Year celebration at the White House, Neda Sharghi approached the president to discuss the issue. in March 2023
After several failed attempts by her family, Emad was finally granted a meeting following her release in a prisoner swap with Iran.
Several months later.
“Additionally, the US aided Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and two unnamed individuals, all American citizens. The Biden administration was also instrumental in releasing $6 billion of Iran’s previously withheld oil revenue to the Tehran government.”
December
Weeks after their families were taken captive, six American dual citizens remain missing. This short timeframe has been noticed by the families of hostages in other nations. The missing individuals are Keith Siegel, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Edan Alexander, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Omer Neutra, and Itay Chen. CIA Director Bill Burns expressed concern about their situation.in Doha on Friday
Urging for an agreement between Hamas and Israel to release 40 or more hostages in return for a six-week pause in violence and an increase of assistance to Gaza.
57-year-old Reza “Robin” Shahini
Several relatives of US citizens who were wrongly held in foreign countries were asked by members of the US Congress to attend the president’s State of the Union speech on Thursday. Among them was Anna Corbett, the wife of Reza “Robin” Shahini, 57. in a county jail in Wyoming, has been charged with second degree murder
Ryan Corbett, presently detained in a Wyoming county jail, is facing charges of second degree murder.
Harrison Li was extended an invitation by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Li told CBS News that they desired to participate in the event in order to potentially network with individuals who could assist them in meeting the president, or even potentially have a brief encounter with the president themselves.
The First Lady invited the family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to join her on Thursday evening. During the event, President Biden acknowledged Evan and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who are both currently being held in Russia.
In 2018, Paul Whelan was taken into custody in Russia. According to his brother, David Whelan, the government has made advancements in their attempts to negotiate with American hostages.
David Whelan told CBS News that at the time of Paul’s arrest, there was a lack of basic resources and assistance for families, and no visible efforts from the U.S. government or State Department. However, he expressed that there has been significant progress since then, with the U.S. government now taking concrete steps to address the issue of hostage-taking.
Gaithersburg at the Greater Maryland Reception on Monday,
Biden has had two encounters with the Whelan family – first in Gaithersburg at the Greater Maryland Reception on Monday.September 2022, and in January.
The families of hostages and detainees should have the opportunity to request a meeting with the President. It’s important for the U.S. Government, specifically the State Department and White House, to carefully examine their treatment of these families’ cases. Despite their intentions, they may be treating these cases differently.
“Additionally, given that Elizabeth (Paul’s sister) has had the opportunity to speak with the president twice, I believe Paul’s situation serves as a prime illustration of how conversing with the President does not guarantee the return of a loved one.”
Sarah Levinson Moriarty expressed that the government consistently emphasizes that addressing these issues is of utmost importance. However, actions speak louder than words and meeting with these families, providing support, and reassuring them of the government’s efforts to end their struggles is the most effective way to demonstrate this commitment.
Margaret Brennan and Andrew Bast were significant contributors to this report.
Source: cbsnews.com