IRAN-USA/AMERICANS DETAINED HEARING Families of Americans detained in Iran testify in Congress

Record ID: 149960

  • Title: IRAN-USA/AMERICANS DETAINED HEARING Families of Americans detained in Iran testify in Congress
  • Date: 2nd June 2015
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (JUNE 02, 2015) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - NONE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NAGHMEH ABEDINI, WIFE OF SAEED ABEDINI, SAYING: "Saeed has been tortured. The first few months of his imprisonment, he was beaten pretty badly where his internal injuries and bleeding started. He has been exiled, sent to an exile prison, Rajaie-shahr prison. He's been moved many
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABL92G2S46KTA8MWTM9QBNO9M6
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday (June 02) called on Iran to release four Americans imprisoned by the Islamic Republic, with a new resolution co-authored by committee chairman Congressman Ed Royce.
    "This resolution rightly points out, that if Iran truly wishes to engage constructively with the rest of the world, step one would be releasing these American and allowing them to be reunited with their loved ones," said Royce.
    The families of the detained Americans testifying before congress, expressed frustration that the fate of the four is not more central to nuclear negotiations nearing the deadline for a deal.
    "My family believes this engagement is by far our best opportunity to bring my father home safely. And we need American officials to ramp up this engagement as they meet in the next few weeks over Iran's nuclear program," said Daniel Levinson, son of Robert Levinson, who went missing from the Iranian island in Kish 8 years ago.
    "Relations between the U.S. and Iran are at a historic point," said Sarah Hekmati, who's brother Amir, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested while on a visit to Iran for allegedly spying for the CIA.
    "How can the U.S. still be considered a hostile country to Iran, when we sit across from them at the negotiating table for the first time in decades," Hekmati's sister asked.
    The brother of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, and the wife of Christian pastor Saeed Abedini gave their views of Iran's judicial process.
    "Iran's treatment of Jason has been and remains in violation of international human rights laws that Iran has repeatedly promised to uphold. Yet despite being a party to treaties that protect free speech and due process, Iran has afforded Jason none of these fundamental rights," said his brother Ali Rezaian.
    "Saeed has been tortured," said Saeed Abedini's wife, Naghmeh. "The first few months of his imprisonment, he was beaten pretty badly where his internal injuries and bleeding started."
    Most committee members said they would not support any Iran agreement that did not include freedom for the detained Americans.
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