Families of detained Americans to Biden: Put patriotism over politics

Record ID: 1671386

  • Title: Families of detained Americans to Biden: Put patriotism over politics
  • Date: 4th May 2022
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 4, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER OF FORMER U.S. MARINE TREVOR REED RECENTLY RELEASED IN A PRISONER EXCHANGE WITH RUSSIA, JOEY REED, SAYING: "I guess my point is, If you can make a trade, like they made for my son in the middle of a war, why can't we do that with all these other countries that want to trade also?”
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2022 22:25
  • Keywords: Biden Detainees Iran Paul Whelan Russia Trevor Reed Venezuela
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., USA + MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: WASHINGTON D.C., USA + MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA005581804052022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Families of more than a dozen Americans detained abroad pressed the administration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday (May 4) to act more decisively to secure the release of their loved ones and called on the government to "put patriotism over politics."
    In Lafayette Park, adjacent to the White House, daughters, sisters and wives of detainees in Iran, Russia, Venezuela and elsewhere gathered, holding pictures of their loved ones. They made impassioned speeches, some in tears, urging the administration to use all its tools to bring detainees home.
    Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed arrived back in the United States last week after being freed as part of an extraordinary prisoner swap with Russia, at a time that its invasion of Ukraine has made relations between Washington and Moscow their tensest in decades.
    Reed's parents had met with Biden and shared their concerns about their son's deteriorating health following nearly three years in Russian detention. His release was a win for Biden ahead of tough mid-term elections in November for his fellow Democrats, but also raised pressure on Biden to do more.
    "If you can make a trade, like they made for my son in the middle of a war, why can't we do that with all these other countries that want to trade also?" Joey Reed, father of Trevor Reed, told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the event.
    At least two other high profile Americans are still detained by Russia -- Paul Whelan, another former U.S. Marine held since 2018, and basketball star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, arrested last February. Biden administration officials have said they are working to secure their release.
    (Production: Kevin Fogarty, Humeyra Pamuk and Temis Tormo)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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