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 our 50th episode! We thank all our guests and are very grateful for all our listeners in 85 countries and territories.

New Episode Out Now

American citizen, Kai Li from New York has been wrongfully imprisoned in China since September 2016. The U.S. government has classified Kai as being "wrongfully detained" and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for Kai's immediate release.

A week ago, Kai's father passed away in China as a result of the surge in COVID19 cases in the country. Chinese authorities have also imposed restrictions within Chinese prisons due to the pandemic that have significantly affected Kai including his ability to communicate with the U.S. Embassy in China and his family.

Last year, we saw the Biden administration secure the release of dozens of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world. Unfortunately, Americans wrongfully detained in China for years like Kai Li have yet to be freed.

On this episode, we speak once again to Kai's son, Harrison Li to get an update on what has happened since we spoke to him nine months ago. Harrison talks about the death of his grandfather, his limited communications with his father, how he's coping with this trauma while studying for his PhD as well as what the Chinese and U.S. governments need to do better. We end this episode discussing why Harrison and his family would like to have a meeting with President Biden as well as what journalists and the public can do to help bring Kai Li home.

Listen to episode

Hostage & Wrongful Detention News

Our host, Daren Nair talks about hostage diplomacy in detail on the American Diplomat podcast

• The American Diplomat podcast is hosted by (Ret.) U.S. Ambassador Peter Romero and Laura Bennett. Our host, Daren Nair had the privilege of being a guest on this podcast last week to talk about hostage diplomacy and the U.S. hostage enterprise in detail. Daren discusses hostage-taking by state actors and non-state actors, how to reduce this abhorrent practice, how media attention impacts these cases and gives Ambassador Romero a good answer to his question - does giving up concessions incentivise further hostage-taking?
• Listen to this American Diplomat podcast episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Iran executes British-Iranian dual national, Alireza Akbari

• On 14 January, the BBC reported that Iran executed British-Iranian dual national, Alireza Akbari. Akbari was a former deputy Iranian defence minister and was arrested in 2019. UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said the execution was a "callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime." BBC Persian broadcasted an audio message from Akbari in which he said he had been tortured and forced to confess on camera to crimes he did not commit.
• ​The Guardian also reported on this on 14 January. Akbari's wife told the Guardian that her husband was "the victim of an internal power struggle" inside Iran. According to the article, Akbari's British-based family in conjunction with the Foreign Office had decided to keep the case private in the belief that private pressure, and pleas for clemency were the best route to his release. Right up to the last minute the family had been given false hope by Iranian intelligence that his life would be spared. A final meeting with his Iranian-based family was cancelled. He leaves behind two daughters.
• Akbari's British MP, Andy Slaughter released a statement on the execution of his constituent. The statement includes the following sentence: "He had dual UK/Iranian nationality and according to the FCDO officials is thought to be the first person with British nationality to be executed since the 1980s." Andy Slaughter goes on to state that the UK needs to re-examine the way it responds to the kidnap and mistreatment of its citizens and how it gears its diplomatic response to their plight as well as the perceived national interest.
• There are two ways to put an end to hostage diplomacy - punish the hostage-takers and raise awareness of this abhorrent practice worldwide. It would be fair to say that Britain has not done either effectively. This execution is the consequence of that ineffective action. We want to make this clear - the Iranian regime are the criminals here but this practice will only continue and escalate in the absence of an effective response from Britain.

Olivier Vandecasteele, Belgian hostage in Iran sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes

• On 10 January, Reuters reported that Belgian aid worker, Olivier Vandecasteele was sentenced to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes on charges that Brussels has denounced as fake. The sentence imposed was more severe than the 28-year term Belgium had reported in December. In December, Belgium's Justice Minister said Vandecasteele had been sentenced as retribution for a 20-year jail term Belgian courts imposed on an Iranian diplomat in 2021. Assadolah Assadi was found guilty of attempted terrorism after a foiled plot to bomb a rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exile group opposed to the Islamic Republic, near Paris in June 2018.
• On 17 January, the United Nations released a press release stating the following: "UN experts today condemned Iran's arbitrary detention of Olivier Vandecasteele and demanded his immediate release." The press release also says: "We believe Mr Vandecasteele has been arbitrarily deprived of his liberty and is a victim of enforced disappearance for periods of detention" and "His right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal has been violated. These are flagrant violations of Iran's obligations under international law."

American citizen and Navy veteran, Taylor Dudley held in Russia released

• On 12 January, Jonathan Franks, spokesperson for the Dudley/VanConant family released a statement on Twitter saying the following: "Earlier today, Russian authorities released American citizen Taylor Dudley, a 35-year-old Navy veteran, across the Polish border to Gov. Bill Richardson, his team, and a representative from the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, a release the Richardson Center worked on diligently and quietly for more than 6 months with significant assistance from the Steve Menzies Global Foundation, from Hostage U.S., and from the James Foley Foundation. The family will be forever grateful for the work of all three. The past 9 months have been difficult ones for the family, and they ask the media to respect their privacy and give them space to welcome Taylor home."

Maciej Walczak, Polish scientist held in Iran freed

• On 14 January, Reuters reported that Polish scientist, Maciej Walczak who has been imprisoned in Iran since July last year was released from prison in Iran and has returned to Poland. "Achieving this goal was one of the priorities of Poland's diplomatic and consular services last year," said the Polish Foreign Ministry in a statement.
• Iran is notorious for wrongfully detaining foreign nationals on trumped up charges and using them as bargaining chips to extract concessions from their home country. This is state-sponsored hostage-taking also known as hostage diplomacy.

French-Irish citizen, Bernard Phelan held in Iran ends hunger and thirst strike but health is 'still extremely bad', family says

• On 19 January, the Irish Independent reported that Bernard Phelan, a 64-year-old French-Irish citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Mashhad, Iran since October has ended his hunger and thirst strike at the request of his family. Phelan started his hunger strike on 1st January 2023. "His health condition since ending his hunger and thirst strike is still extremely bad. He has a heart condition, chronic bone inflammation and illness, so his health is extremely at risk and we still fear for his life, so escalate, escalate, escalate." said his sister, Caroline Massé Phelan on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

Siamak Namazi, American hostage in Iran goes on hunger strike

• American citizen, Siamak Namazi has been held hostage in Iran since October 2015. The U.S. State Department has classified Siamak as being "wrongfully detained". On 16 January, Siamak's lawyer, Jared Genser sent out a press release stating that Siamak has started a seven-day hunger strike to mark seven years since he was left behind in a prisoner swap deal in 2016 between the U.S. and Iran that freed other American hostages including Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian. This press release includes a letter that Siamak has written to U.S. President Biden.

Jamshid Sharmahd, German citizen and U.S. resident held hostage in Iran likely to be sentenced to death

• Jamshid Sharmahd is a German citizen and U.S. resident who has lived with his family in California for over 17 years. In July 2020, Jamshid was kidnapped in Dubai by agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and taken to Iran where he is still being held today. The EU Parliament and Amnesty International have called for his release. Jamshid has been put through multiple sham trials including one over a week ago and is likely to be sentenced to death. We interviewed his daughter, Gazelle Sharmahd a year ago. Listen to that interview here to learn more about his case.

German citizen arrested in Iran for "photographing oil facility"

• According to a DW article on 17 January, Iranian media have reported that a German national was arrested for allegedly taking pictures of "sensitive" oil facilities in southern Khuzestan province, a hub of Iran's oil industry. The German Foreign Ministry has attempted to clarify the situation.

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs visits Americans detained in Venezuela

• On 13 January, CNN reported that the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Ambassador Roger Carstens quietly travelled to Venezuela last month to check on the Americans who remain imprisoned in Venezuela. Carstens was accompanied by U.S. Consular officials. There are currently two Americans held in Venezuela who are classified as "wrongfully detained" by the U.S. State Department - Eyvin Hernandez and Jerrel Kenemore.
• We interviewed Eyvin's brother, Henry Martinez in November last year. You can listen to that interview here. Henry told CNN that Ambassador Carstens was able to deliver some goodies from the family such as vitamins, soap, honey and chocolate to Eyvin.
• We also interviewed Jerrel's sister, Jeana Kenemore Tillery in December last year. You can listen to that interview here. Jeana said they brought Jerrel vitamins and Bibles at his request and his family was able to send him tuna as a Christmas gift.

Robert Pether, Australian citizen and Irish resident held in Iraq

• Australian engineer and Irish resident, Robert Pether has been wrongfully imprisoned in Iraq since 7 April 2021 as a result of a commercial dispute between the Iraqi government and his Dubai-based employer, CME Consulting. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has stated that his detention is arbitrary and has called for his immediate release. We have spoken to Robert's family multiple times and you can listen to our most recent interview with his wife, Desree Pether here.
• We received the following updates this week from Desree:
  • "Currently there is an appeal on the rejection of their application for retrial. Also the 50 million USD civil case against Robert and his Egyptian colleague, Khaled is moving along and is back in court this week for session 7."
  • "Robert's health continues to deteriorate. He now has to have his colleague, Khaled and another cellmate on either side of him when he has an opportunity to go outside so he doesn't injure himself if he blacks out. We are extremely concerned about his deterioration both physically and mentally."

Paul Rusesabagina, Belgian citizen and U.S. permanent resident wrongfully detained in Rwanda

• Paul Rusesabagina is a Belgian citizen and U.S. permanent resident. He is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and has been credited with saving the lives of over 1,200 people during the Rwandan genocide. His story was told in the Hollywood movie, Hotel Rwanda. In August 2020, Paul was kidnapped in Dubai and taken to Rwanda where he is being detained to this day. Paul has now been wrongfully imprisoned in Rwanda for over 865 days.
• The U.S. State Department has classified Paul as being "wrongfully detained" and the U.S. government has called for his release. We interviewed Paul's daughters, Carine Kanimba and Anaise Kanimba in October 2021. You can listen to that interview here.
• On 14 December 2022, the New York Times reported that Rwandan President Paul Kagame suggested only an invasion of his country could force him to release Paul Rusesabagina.

Special Operations Airmen were honored for their heroism during a dangerous hostage rescue mission in northern Nigeria in 2020

• On 19 January, the Air and Space Forces Magazine reported that two airmen were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their part in a daring, dangerous hostage rescue operation in Africa more than two years ago. Three others on the mission received Air Medals. The awards were presented at a 11 January ceremony at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
• Maj. Kyle Konkolics and Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Reedy received DFCs, the military's fourth-highest award for heroism, for a short-notice mission in northern Nigeria, where they rescued Philip Walton, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen who had been abducted in neighbouring Niger. Others on the mission were Staff Sgt. Christin Springs, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Morgan, and Staff Sgt. Robert Duck, all of whom received the Air Medal for their efforts.

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Ways To Help

• In the description of each of our episodes on our website or on podcast directories e.g. Apple Podcasts, you'll find a section with links for further information. In the case of Kai Li, this section includes links to the Free Kai Li website, petition and Twitter account. Please do sign the petitions where applicable and follow their social media accounts if you can to keep up to date with these campaigns.
• There are two ways to bring hostage diplomacy to an end or at least reduce this abhorrent practice - punish the hostage-taking state and raise awareness of hostage diplomacy worldwide so people travelling abroad are better-informed of the risks. Please do share our episodes with your contacts to help us raise awareness of hostage diplomacy.

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This newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with our work including the cases we're working on. If you haven't already, please do subscribe to this newsletter here. If you have any questions, you can get in touch here.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about hostage diplomacy and for showing the hostages and their families that they're not forgotten, that they're not alone, that there are good caring people out there who want to help.

Best Wishes,

Daren Nair

Creator & Host of Pod Hostage Diplomacy.