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Pod Hostage Diplomacy

Daren Nair

We work to free hostages and the unjustly detained around the world. Sign up to get our Hostage Briefing newsletters with details of new episodes, news reports on hostage and wrongful detention cases as well as ways to help.

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Hostage Briefing - 16 June 2023

Dear friend, We've been dealing with ongoing health issues hence the delay in sending out this newsletter. We’ve also decided to take an extended break to recover from these health issues. We hope to be back with new episodes in September 2023. Apologies for the inconvenience and thank you all for your understanding. We have two episodes out now for you. American Marine veteran, Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich are both wrongfully imprisoned in Russia. We speak...

11 months ago • 17 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. We have a new episode out now on Shahab Dalili, an American lawful permanent resident held hostage in Iran since April 2016. His son, Darian Dalili is worried that his father may be left behind by the US government in any potential prisoner swap deal between the US and Iran. We also have some great news. Four hostages and wrongful detainees have been released in the last few weeks. We have more information on them in our 'Hostage and...

about 1 year ago • 6 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. We have a new episode out now on Cécile Kohler, a French teacher and unionist who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Iran since 7 May 2022. The French government has called her a state hostage. We speak to Cécile's sister, Noémie Kohler to find out how we can help bring her home. We also have updates for you on hostage and wrongful detention cases from around the world. New Episode Out Now Cécile Kohler is a French teacher and a...

about 1 year ago • 4 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. On our latest episode, we speak again to the strong and resilient, Mariam Claren. Her mother, Nahid Taghavi is a 68-year-old German citizen who has been held hostage in Iran since October 2020. Mariam talks about what we can do to help free her mother and Jamshid Sharmahd, another German citizen held hostage in Iran who was recently sentenced to death. As usual, we also have updates on other hostage and wrongful detention cases from...

about 1 year ago • 7 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. French hostage in Iran, Benjamin Briére has been on hunger strike since 28 January. He is putting his life in danger to protest his wrongful imprisonment in Iran since May 2020. On our latest episode, we interview his sister, Blandine Briére again to find out how we can help bring him home. As usual, we also have updates on hostage and wrongful detention cases from around the world. New Episode Out Now French citizen, Benjamin Briére...

about 1 year ago • 5 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. We have a new episode out now on German citizen and U.S. resident, Jamshid Sharmahd. In July 2020, Jamshid was kidnapped in Dubai by agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and taken to Iran where he is being held today. His life is in imminent danger as he is at risk of being sentenced to death any day now. We speak to his daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd who tells us what we can do to help save her father's life. New Episode Out Now In...

about 1 year ago • 4 min read

Dear friend, We have a new episode out now with Harrison Li. His father, Kai Li is an American businessman from New York who has been wrongfully imprisoned in China since September 2016. Harrison's grandfather was sadly one of the victims of the recent surge in COVID19 cases in China and passed away a week ago. His father, Kai now has draconian restrictions imposed on him in prison. Harrison gives us an update on his father and tells us what we can do to help. This episode also happens to be...

over 1 year ago • 10 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our first Hostage Briefing of 2023. We hope you all had a great holiday break. We have a new episode out now with Peter Humphrey who is a British citizen, former fraud investigator and former journalist. Peter and his American wife were both wrongfully imprisoned in China in July 2013 for almost two years. Peter uses his experience as a journalist and walks us through his detention step by step in this detailed 3.5 hour interview which we highly recommend you listen to...

over 1 year ago • 4 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our last Hostage Briefing newsletter of the year. The holiday season is a difficult time for hostages and their families. It's a time when families should be able to come together and make memories - something too many families around the world won't be able to do this year. Next week will mark four years since Paul Whelan has been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia. He was left behind in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia earlier this month that freed fellow...

over 1 year ago • 4 min read

Dear friend, Welcome to our Hostage Briefing newsletter. We have a new episode out now on Jerrel Kenemore, an American citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Venezuela since March this year. We speak to his sister, Jeana Kenemore Tillery to find out how we can help bring her brother home. We also have some great news and some sad news in our 'Hostage News' section. American WNBA athlete, Brittney Griner was freed yesterday in a prisoner swap with Russia but fellow American and former...

over 1 year ago • 4 min read
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