[House Hearing, 115 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
HELD FOR RANSOM: THE FAMILIES OF IRAN'S HOSTAGES SPEAK OUT
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 25, 2017
__________
Serial No. 115-58
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
or
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
26-426PDF WASHINGTON : 2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office,
http://bookstore.gpo.gov. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center,
U.S. Government Publishing Office. Phone 202-512-1800, or 866-512-1800 (toll-free).
E-mail, [email protected].
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California
DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TED POE, Texas KAREN BASS, California
DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina AMI BERA, California
MO BROOKS, Alabama LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
PAUL COOK, California TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
RON DeSANTIS, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
TED S. YOHO, Florida DINA TITUS, Nevada
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois NORMA J. TORRES, California
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois
DANIEL M. DONOVAN, Jr., New York THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York
F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, Jr., ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York
Wisconsin TED LIEU, California
ANN WAGNER, Missouri
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida
FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
THOMAS A. GARRETT, Jr., Virginia
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairman
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
DARRELL E. ISSA, California GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
RON DeSANTIS, Florida DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
PAUL COOK, California BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois
DANIEL M. DONOVAN, Jr., New York THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York
ANN WAGNER, Missouri TED LIEU, California
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsy
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
WITNESSES
Mr. Douglas Levinson (son of Robert Levinson).................... 6
Mr. Babak Namazi (son of Baquer Namazi, brother of Siamak Namazi) 12
Mr. Omar Zakka (son of Nizar Zakka).............................. 17
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING
Mr. Douglas Levinson: Prepared statement......................... 9
Mr. Babak Namazi: Prepared statement............................. 14
Mr. Omar Zakka: Prepared statement............................... 20
APPENDIX
Hearing notice................................................... 32
Hearing minutes.................................................. 33
Mr. Douglas Levinson: Material submitted for the record.......... 34
HELD FOR RANSOM: THE FAMILIES OF IRAN'S HOSTAGES SPEAK OUT
----------
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:00 p.m., in
room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. The committee will come to order.
After recognizing myself and Ranking Member Deutch for 5
minutes each for our opening statements, I will then recognize
any other members wishing recognition for 1 minute. We will
then hear from our witnesses. We thank them for appearing
before us today. Without objection, the witnesses prepared
statements will be made a part of the record and members may
have 5 days to insert statements and questions for the record
subject to the length limitation in the rules.
The Chair now recognizes herself for 5 minutes.
On behalf of the ranking member and me, we wish that it was
not necessary to conduct this hearing today. However, we
believe that it is important to continue to elevate this matter
as much as we can to ensure that we continue to advocate on
behalf of U.S. citizens being unjustly held in Iran and ask
questions about what our Government is doing to get your family
members back home.
Our witnesses today represent the families of four American
hostages in Iran. Bob Levinson, a former U.S. Government
employee and public servant for 33 years--we have his photo in
a poster--including at both the FBI and the DEA, and a
constituent of our ranking member, Mr. Levinson was last seen
on March 9, 2007; Siamak Namazi, a businessman who graduated
from Tufts and Rutgers Universities, who founded a consulting
firm focused on the risk of doing business in Iran and who was
detained on October 15, 2015; his father, Baquer Namazi, a
former representative of the U.N. Children's Fund, who was
detained on February 22nd, 2016 while trying to look into his
son's case; and Nizar Zakka, an information, communications,
and technology development expert who was detained on September
18, 2015.
In addition to these four men, we are aware of at least
four other Americans being held in Iran, including three who
were arrested last year and one who was detained just earlier
this month.
It is no easy task to testify before Congress, even more so
when it is about a family member who is suffering and has been
taken from you. And I know I speak on behalf of all members
when I say that we are deeply appreciative of the witnesses
appearing before us today. My heart broke as I read each one of
your testimonies. The love and the pride that you have for your
family members was so clearly evident, and I want you to know
that all of us here are committed to doing everything in our
power to get your loved ones home safely.
This is unfortunately the second time in the last 3 years
that our committee has held a hearing on Iran's hostages, as we
welcomed the Levinson family last time as well as three
witnesses whose family members were eventually released as part
of the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA. Iran's
taking of hostages in exchange for political or financial
concessions is by any definition morally and ethically
abhorrent and completely outside the scope of international
legal norms.
I know that both the current and past administration have
wanted to bring these Americans home and they have tried hard
to find a solution when dealing with a regime that does not
respect human rights or decency or the rule of law. But it is
not enough. Without additional pressure on the Iranian regime
and without a significant step up in the efforts of both the
White House and the State Department, Iran will undoubtedly not
only continue detaining those held today, but will take even
more hostages in the future.
The State Department and other relevant agencies must also
intensify their efforts to keep in contact with the families of
those being held every step of the way. Despite revisions to
U.S. hostage policy in 2015, including the creation of a Family
Engagement Coordinator, we continue to hear too many stories
about the U.S. Government not keeping the families in the loop.
The Hostage Response Group and the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell
were also good steps forward and have had some successes, but
we continue to see too many Americans being held for too long.
Later this week, a resolution that I am proud to be leading
with Ranking Member Deutch will be on the House floor. It calls
for Iran's unconditional release of Bob, of Siamak, of Baquer,
and Nizar as well as any other U.S. citizen, legal permanent
resident, or foreign national and urges the President to make
their release the highest of priorities. And I have no doubt
that it will pass overwhelmingly.
But we need to see additional pressure and additional
sanctions specifically against the Iranian individuals and
entities responsible for detaining those family members, for
taking hostages as a matter of policy, and for committing
increasingly gross human rights abuses, so that Iran is finally
forced to change its behavior and these Americans are released
and brought home. We need to see an intense, concerted effort
from both Congresses and this administration because this is a
problem that is not going away.
And with that I am pleased to yield to my good friend, the
ranking member, Mr. Deutch of Florida.
Mr. Deutch. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I want to thank you
for holding this hearing today. You have been a champion for
these families and the families of so many others who have been
wrongfully held or imprisoned by rogue regimes. You have been a
steadfast partner in advocating for the release of my
constituent Bob Levinson and I am most grateful for your
unwavering support.
To Doug, Babak, and Omar, thank you for being here today to
share the stories of your fathers and brother. None of us can
imagine what your families go through every single day. Your
testimony today will give this Congress and the American people
a small window into the unimaginable reality that you face each
day.
Just last week we learned that Iran has taken another
American citizen, convicted him in some undisclosed sham trial,
and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Hostage taking is not
a game that responsible nations play. Iran's outrageous
disregard for international law should give every country,
every company, especially every American company, pause as to
whether this is a country they should welcome back into the
community of nations.
Siamak Namazi has been detained since November 2015. His
father, Baquer, has been detained since February 2016. Baquer
was detained at 80 years old, a mere 6 weeks after the deal
that saw five Americans previously being held by Iran released
in January of last year. His health unfortunately is poor.
Neither were afforded due process, and this family has still
not been made aware of the exact charges against them. This is
not rule of law. This is hostage taking.
Nizar Zakka is an internet freedom activist. He was invited
to Iran to participate in a conference and was subsequently
detained. Can you imagine, invited to a country and then
arrested with no cause. Iran first acknowledged holding Nizar
in November 3rd, 2015. Like Siamak and the recently sentenced
Xiyue Wang, Nizar has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Bob Levinson has been missing for 10 years. Bob went
missing from Kish Island, Iran, March 9, 2007. Bob and his wife
Christine live in my district in Coral Springs, Florida. Bob is
a patriot in every sense of the word. He devoted 28 years of
his life to government service, first at the DEA and then 22
years at the FBI. I have come to know the Levinson family well
over the past 7 years.
Bob's wife of over 40 years, Christine, is here today as
well as Bob's eldest son, Dan. Not here today are Bob's five
other children, Susan, Stephanie, Sarah, Samantha, and David.
Sarah recently gave birth to Bob's newest grandchild. He was
born on July 4th, a date that certainly makes Bob proud. Last
year, Bob's namesake, 3-year-old Bobby, underwent treatment for
cancer, and just a few months ago Bob's son, David, had his
first child and the baptism is next week.
Bob has missed all of these milestones. Imagine 10 years
without your husband, your father, your grandfather. We will
hear what that has been like from Doug, who was only 13 at the
time Bob disappeared. No family should have to endure 10 years
of unanswered questions, 10 years of watching others come home,
and 10 years of being left behind.
I have sat in this room countless times over the years and
talked about Bob, I have talked about him on the House floor,
and I won't stop talking about Bob. I won't stop calling out
Iran to once and for all send Bob home. Iran may claim they
don't know where Bob is, but they know how to find him and they
know how to get him home. We need action. Bob can no longer be
left behind, and today I would like you to hear directly from
Bob.
In 2010, the Levinsons received the video you are about to
see. In it you will see Bob under duress, pleading for his
country to help him, if we could play it.
[Video shown.]
Mr. Deutch. It is hard to watch, but it is important that
the world see Bob, that they see more than a name in a
newspaper article, that they see the husband, father, the
grandfather, the American public servant. I implore this
administration to make bringing Bob home a priority. And
despite our policy disagreements with Iran, bringing home Bob,
Siamak, Baquer and Nizar, and the other Americans detained in
Iran must always be at the top of the agenda.
Doug, Babak, Omar, I can only hope that by providing each
of you a chance to tell your family's story today we can send a
message that the release of these Americans is a priority for
this Congress, it is a priority for the American people, and we
will not stop until they are home. And I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, Mr. Deutch. And the Levinson
family feels very blessed to have you as their representative,
for always being a voice for Bob. I know that we didn't catch
the beginning part of that video. Is it possible to go back
and--it seemed like it started in the middle.
[Video shown.]
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you. And I think we got at the very
beginning. Thank you so very much. Thank you. And now I would
like to have members make their opening statements. We will
start with Mr. Chabot of Ohio.
Mr. Chabot. Thank you, Madam Chair and Ranking Member
Deutch for your continued dedication to this important issue. I
know that you have both been, I kind of think, an inspiration
to the rest of us on the committee for how doggedly you have
taken this on and thank you for doing that. And I also want to
express our sincere admiration for our witnesses here today,
all three. Your willingness to testify on these abhorrent cases
is a testament not only of your love for your family members
but to your courage and tenacity in standing up for what is
just and what is right.
Mr. Levinson as we know is the longest-held U.S. civilian
in American history and Iranian officials have done little to
live up to their commitments to work through the cases to
assist the United States to investigate Mr. Levinson's
disappearance. And Iran--I am almost out of time. Iran has
continued to take people hostage. They took people before the
agreement with Iran and they have taken people since then.
So it seems nothing has worked to change the way they value
human life. It is a terrible situation and to have a loved one
outside your family under the circumstances you have is just
something that no human being should have to be under those
circumstances, and this is on Iran. I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Chabot.
Mr. Schneider of Illinois.
Mr. Schneider. Thank you, and I too want to join in
commending the chairman and the ranking member for holding this
hearing. And to each of you, thank you for being here for
sharing your story. I first had the privilege of sitting in
this chair 4\1/2\ years ago, and it was then that I first heard
my colleague from Florida, Mr. Deutch, so eloquently speak on
behalf Robert Levinson. I have heard him speak many, many
times.
I was not here when the deal with Iran was consummated and
some of the hostages were brought home but Mr. Levinson was
left behind. I am greatly honored and fortunate to be back in
this seat and quite honestly stunned that we are still having
to speak out and call for the return of Robert Levinson. But
here we are. And I want to thank my colleague, Ted, for your
continued passion and eloquent words. We will continue to fight
for this. Thanks to Doug, to Babak, and Omar. Your presence
here is a reflection of our commitment and we will be here
until your fathers, your brother, come home. Thank you.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, Mr. DeSantis, I mean Mr.
Schneider. Mr. DeSantis of Florida.
Mr. DeSantis. Well, I thank the chairman and thank the
ranking member for keeping the American people apprised of this
issue. We had a deal with Iran. We sent billions of dollars,
even a billion seven in cash. I know we got some people back.
We did not get everybody back and we need to do that. This is a
maniacal regime. They are fomenting all kinds of problems all
across the Middle East. They are a stalwart enemy of this
country and I would just urge the President, lean in on this
issue. Put some pressure on them. Do what we can do. We are the
strongest country in the world, we have got to be able to get
our people back.
And I know there is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the
scenes, but boy, I would love to see something public, strong,
and swift and I would love to see these people back. I yield
back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, Mr. DeSantis.
Mr. Zeldin of New York.
Mr. Zeldin. Well, thank you Madam Chair and to the ranking
member as well for your leadership on this issue, this hearing,
which is called the Families of Iran's Hostages Speak Out,
hopefully will be part of a better way forward of America
speaking out because these families need this administration,
need the American people to be fully behind them in this
effort.
We gave $1.7 billion ransom payment in cash to Iranians at
the same exact time of securing a release of some unjustly
imprisoned Americans. The administration said it wasn't a
ransom. Some suggested it was a coincidence. Some said we owed
them the money. Everything in this story is highly and easily
disputable based off of facts. One of those facts also is that
not everyone has come home and Iran has continued its bad
activities.
So thank you again to the chair for hosting this hearing
and hopefully it will inspire our country to do more to speak
out to bring your families home and to ensure this doesn't
happen again with better policies going forward. I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Amen. Thank you, Mr. Zeldin.
And now we would like to introduce our witnesses. Honored
to welcome Doug Levinson, Doug as you know is the youngest son
of Robert Levinson. He was only 13 when his father, Bob, went
missing in Iran. I have had the pleasure, we all have, of
having met with him many, many times about his father's case.
He works here on the Hill for the office of our good friend,
Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey.
Thank you, Doug, for your persistent efforts. Thank you for
being with us today. We look forward to your testimony.
And next we would like to welcome Babak Namazi. Mr.
Namazi's father Bakar Namazi and brother Siamak Namazi were
sentenced to prison in 2016 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Corps under trumped up charges. Babak has been working
relentlessly to free his father and his brother.
Thank you, Babak, for joining us in this important hearing
today. I have had the pleasure of meeting you at various times
along with your attorney. We look forward to hearing your
testimony.
Finally, we would like to welcome Omar Zakka. Omar is the
son of Nizar Zakka who was arrested, as you had heard, while
attending a women's conference in Tehran in 2015. Nizar was
sentenced in closed-door trial to 10 years in an Iranian
prison. Nizar has engaged in multiple hunger strikes during his
imprisonment which has put his health in an unstable condition.
His son Omar has been working also tirelessly to secure the
release of his father.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Omar,
and we very much look forward to your testimony.
As I had said, your written testimony has been made a part
of the record. Please feel free to summarize your statements
and then we will begin our question and answer period. We will
begin with you, Mr. Levinson.
STATEMENT OF MR. DOUGLAS LEVINSON (SON OF ROBERT LEVINSON)
Mr. Levinson. Thank you. Madam Chairwoman, Ranking Member,
and distinguished members of this committee, thank you for
inviting me to testify before you today. My name is Doug
Levinson. I am the youngest child of Robert and Christine
Levinson. What you just saw was the last known video of my
father who disappeared from Iran's Kish Island on March 9,
2007. That was 3,791 days ago. Bob Levinson, or Dad as my six
siblings and I call him, is the longest-held hostage in
American history.
The Iranian Government has never officially recognized
arresting my father, but just 3 weeks after he went missing an
Iranian state-sanctioned media outlet called PressTV reported
that he was quote deg.``in the hands of Iranian
security forces and could be freed in a matter of days.'' Our
family also received documents indicating that he was arrested
by local authorities on Kish Island. I would like to submit
these articles----
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Without objection.
Mr. Levinson [continuing]. Into the record. Thank you.
Iran has repeatedly changed their story from asking what he
was doing there to denying he was ever there at all. The
hostage video you saw was made to look as if he was being held
by some radical extremist group. Don't be fooled. The U.S.
Government officials believe that is a ruse. Iran is
responsible and they know exactly where he is.
Over the past 10 years, Dad has missed three of his
children's weddings, two high school graduations, and three
college graduations, including myself, and too many birthdays
and major milestones to count. He has five grandchildren he has
never met. They know their Grandpa Bob through the stories we
tell them and they pray each night to one day meet him. Bobby,
who was named after his Grandpa Bob, is currently in remission
from stage II lymphoma. He is only 3 years old. But with all
that Dad has missed over the past 10 years, the most
devastating part is that Bob Levinson has been left behind by
the U.S. Government time after time after time and we cannot
let that happen again.
With me today is my mother Christine who has fought every
single day of these past 10 years to rescue the love of her
life. My parents should be enjoying their empty nest, visiting
their grandchildren, and traveling the world like they had
promised. Instead, my mom's first trip outside of the United
States was to Iran to retrace my father's footsteps. Words
cannot describe what an honor it is to be the child of Bob and
Christine Levinson. [Applause.]
Mr. Levinson. Also here with me today is my older brother
Dan who testified before this committee 2 years ago alongside
the families of Jason Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, and Amir Hekmati.
Just 6 months after that testimony all three were released as
part of the JCPOA, but our father was left behind and we had to
find out from watching the news just like everyone else. Let me
repeat that. My mother found out because my sister called her
after seeing it on television. No one from the United States
Government had the decency to give us an advanced warning that
this was happening.
Devastated does not even come close to what we felt that
day. My family received the hostage video that you saw, earlier
in 2010, years after many in the government wrote him off for
dead. We received this photo and others like it in 2011.
Bob Levinson has devoted his life to two things, providing
unwavering love to his wife and family and protecting America
by putting away the bad guys. Dad worked for the FBI for 22
years and 6 years in the DEA before that. He was working for
the U.S. Government when he was taken and therefore the United
States Government has a moral obligation to bring him home.
Just last year, the United Nations Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention ruled that Iran is responsible for my
father's arrest and declared that they must acknowledge and
return him home immediately. The U.N. has been more forceful on
securing my father's return than the government that sent him
there.
I was only 13 years old when my father was kidnapped. He is
my best friend. He is everything I wish I could be. Four days
before he was kidnapped my father wrote me an email. This is
what it said: Monday, March 5, 2007. Dear Dud, I hope you miss
me as much as I miss you.
I didn't see his message until March 11th, the day after we
learned something was wrong. As a scared and terrified 13-year-
old boy who had just been told his father was missing, I sent
him a message back. Sunday, March 11, 2007. Hi Daddy, it is
March 11th and I just got your email. Everyone is looking for
you. Dad, I want to let you know that I love you so much and
please come back home safe and sound. I love you, Dad, so much.
Please respond back. I am so scared. Please come home.
The last time I saw him I was about 5 foot 4 inches. Today
I stand 6 feet 4 inches tall, the same height as Dad when he
left. I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I
never thought that I would be wearing a pair of his shoes while
testifying in front of Congress. I will be honest, they are
still a little bit big, but the blisters that I get on my heel
remind me of the service and the sacrifice that the man they
belong to gave to this country.
His service inspired me to move to DC last year and to take
a job working on foreign policy for a senior member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I know the weight that this
committee holds and while I am honored to be here, this is the
second time we have had to do this. This is the second time we
have had to testify on my father's behalf. We pray there will
not need to be a third.
Finally, I am here today with three goals. First, to make
sure that my father is not forgotten. We are desperate. We have
endured the turnover of three administrations. We have met with
anybody and everybody that will listen. We don't know what else
we can possibly do.
Second, we are here to get on the record that the United
States Government has repeatedly failed my father and my
family. Year after year we have witnessed the United States
administration officials fail to make my father the priority he
needs to be. We are hopeful with this new administration, but
we have heard these same promises before. We need action. We
have watched at least ten Americans who have been captured and
released by Iran since my father was taken 10 years ago. Ten.
That is ten families who have been reunited with their loved
ones. That is ten times that my father has been left behind,
one for each year he has been gone.
And third, we are here to ask for your help. Please, hold
the United States and the Iranian Governments accountable for
bringing Bob Levinson home. Please, be relentless in pursuing
all options and pushing this administration to resolve this
case as quickly as possible. And please, do not let Iran off
the hook. They have been allowed to do whatever they want
because there have been no consequences. They have avoided my
father's case for years. They know what happened to Bob
Levinson and they can send him home, but they choose not to.
In our experience, the Iranians only respond to pressure.
Hold their feet to the fire. Threaten them with sanctions. Do
anything. Do something. The excruciating pain of not knowing,
the fear that we haven't done enough, and the thought that the
United States Government has failed to rescue my father thus
far is demoralizing. My father Bob Levinson is an American
hero. He is a patriot. Please help us finally bring him home.
As he said in that hostage video in 2010, 33 years of service
deserves something. Please help us. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Levinson follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
----------
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, excellent testimony, heartfelt
and insightful. Thank you so much, Mr. Levinson.
Mr. Nimazi?
STATEMENT OF MR. BABAK NAMAZI (SON OF BAQUER NAMAZI, BROTHER OF
SIAMAK NAMAZI)
Mr. Namazi. Madam Chair.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. You could put the microphone a little bit
closer to you.
Mr. Namazi. Madam Chair, is that better?
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Just a little bit. Why don't you hold it
a little bit closer to you.
Mr. Namazi. Madam Chair and distinguished members of the
subcommittee, 651 days ago on October 13, 2015, my brother
Siamak Namazi was arrested and detained in Iran by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps and has been held at a notorious Evin
Prison.
In January 2016, five American hostages were released from
prison in Iran. To my family's shock and horror, my brother was
not released. We were given different explanations of the
inexplicable, but felt reassured to learn that Secretary of
State John Kerry had been promised by Iranian Foreign Minister
Zarif that Siamak would be released within weeks of the other
hostages' release. When he was not, my family was devastated.
But things only got worse from there. Instead of releasing
my brother, on February 22nd, 2016, my father Baquer Namazi was
lured back to Iran from a brief trip abroad by the promise of
seeing Siamak, but instead he was also detained. On October 17,
2016, without any evidence or respect for the their rights of
due process, my father and brother were each summarily tried,
convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in prison for collusion
with a hostile government. They remain in Evin Prison today.
It is important to emphasize this latter point because
Foreign Minister Zarif claimed last week in an interview with
CBS News that my father was not behind bars, implying he had
been transferred to house arrest. This is just not true. My
father and brother have been and continue to be subjected to
unimaginable suffering including spending part of their
confinement in solitary cells.
My father is 81 years old and has a severe heart condition
that requires medication and may shortly require a pacemaker.
He has lost more than 30 pounds and suffers dizziness,
shortness of breath, and headaches. In the last few months, he
has been twice hospitalized for a week at a time which only
makes us more concerned about his well-being, especially as the
IRGC never told our father or our family what was wrong with
him after such hospitalization and no records were given to the
family. It is obvious that his condition, both physical and
mental, is rapidly deteriorating. My father's prison sentence
is a death sentence.
My brother is a strong man, but I fear he has given up
hope. His detention conditions are truly horrific. He has been
kept in isolation for long periods of time. For the majority of
his detention he was forced to sleep on a concrete floor
because they gave him no bed and held him in solitary
confinement for most of the time. Though Siamak will not talk
about it, he has been tortured by the IRGC with beatings and
tasing and psychological torment as prison guards having told
him my father is in dire health and only telling him the truth
days later.
The IRGC has ripped my family in half, and for those of us
left behind we worry all the time about whether my father and
Siamak will survive. We don't yet see a way through this
suffering to their liberation. I don't understand why Foreign
Minister Zarif would claim my father is now under house arrest
when he clearly isn't. For the Iranian Government to present
this false claim to the international community makes a mockery
of my family's pain by having given us a moment of hope that at
least a little of our suffering might be ameliorated, only to
see it dashed when the truth becomes clear that it hadn't
happened.
I cannot digest the inhumanity and cruelty that my family
is exposed to on a daily basis. My family is very grateful that
the United Nations where my father worked for many years is
highly engaged. It has been very heartening to see Secretary-
General Guterres engage at the highest levels with the Iranian
Government following up on Secretary-General Ban's engagement.
And Tony Lake, the head of UNICEF, has been incredibly focused
on pressing Iran to release my father as well as hundreds of my
father's UNICEF colleagues.
We are also very grateful for ongoing assistance provided
by President Trump and his administration on our behalf. It is
clear by both the public statements and private actions that
the President is very focused on securing the release of my
family and other American citizen hostages in Iran. We
desperately need that help and support to secure my father and
brother's release. While I am not qualified to say what
specifically would be most effective to secure the release of
my family, I urge the President and Congress to spare no
efforts and to do whatever is necessary to save my father and
brother and to save them quickly.
I would also be remiss if I did not thank Chairwoman Ros-
Lehtinen for having originally sponsored House Resolution 317
with Representatives Lowey, Poe, and Deutch, and all other co-
sponsors. It is heartening to see such strong bipartisan
support and my family is so grateful that this subcommittee
unanimously adopted the resolution. I hope the full House of
Representatives will take up the resolution as soon as
possible.
Finally, I turn my attention to speaking publicly to the
Government of Iran. In short, my father and brother have done
nothing wrong and are innocent. Foreign Minister Zarif said
last week at the Council on Foreign Relations that he is
willing to address this humanitarian problem from a
humanitarian perspective. I pray that he finds a way and that
these are not just empty words. They must be released urgently
and on humanitarian grounds before it is too late.
I have been reassured so many times by well-meaning
individuals to be patient and that my family just needs to hold
on, but patience isn't a virtue that I can have when I see my
father and brother's physical and mental health deteriorate so
much and at an increasing rate of speed. Please help me bring
my father and brother home. I am losing my entire family. We
are simply running out of time. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Namazi follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
----------
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much and thank you for
referencing our bill which we hope will be on the House floor
for passage tomorrow afternoon, late afternoon.
Mr. Namazi. Thank you, Madam.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. And of course it calls for the release of
all of your family members. Thank you.
Mr. Namazi. Thank you.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Mr. Zakka, thank you so much.
STATEMENT OF MR. OMAR ZAKKA (SON OF NIZAR ZAKKA)
Mr. Zakka. Good afternoon. My name is Omar Zakka. I am the
youngest of Nizar Zakka's three sons. My brothers are Nadim and
Kareem, and I am speaking on the family's behalf. We are
residents in Washington, DC, also have family in Texas.
My father wanted me to be sure that I thanked all of you
ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, the representatives of
the American people. Thank you for defending human rights as
well as calling attention to my father's plight and, as my
father reminded us many times before, the plight of other
innocent people, Americans and those from many other countries
being held in hostage in Iran. I know that my dad appreciates
how you have stressed the particular obligation that the United
States has in securing his release as well as the release of
other U.S. persons held in Iran.
When the Iranians abducted my father, I had not even
graduated high school. At the time, I was following in my
father's footsteps. I was a cadet second lieutenant at my
father's alma mater, the Riverside Military Academy in
Gainesville, Georgia. Like other cadets, I was trying to learn
accountability by working and leading my peers during a
challenging time in my life. I had hopes and dreams and still
do. I thought I would be in some state college right now doing
what any 19-year-old would be doing. Sitting here in Congress
was the farthest thing from my mind. However, my dad's close to
2-year ordeal has taught so much about the importance of life,
family, and friends.
Today is the 30th day of my dad's latest hunger strike. His
will, as I said, as strong as ever. My dad is innocent and as
he says will not be forced to do things against his will
including signing forced confessions.
Even though I was hardly aware or even appreciated the
scope of my father's work at the time, I knew enough to be a
very proud son. All of my brothers are very proud of him. Our
dad is truly a great man, maybe a better man than I will ever
be. My dad has devoted his life for humanitarian and
development work, in other words helping others. My dad used
his computer science and mathematics degree from Texas
University, and his talents, to help others in the ICT field.
My father believes in the power of information as well as
technology, and how it can help other communities that the
world has neglected and left behind. I have never known him to
even have a political standpoint as all along he proclaimed to
be a law-abiding citizen of the world and does not advocate for
any party, group, or government. To help advance his mission,
he founded and managed a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization,
IJMA3 USA, with offices right here in Washington, DC.
My father, Nizar Zakka, was invited by Iranian Vice
President, Mrs. Molaverdi, to attend in September 2015 in
Tehran a conference on Women in Sustainable Development
Entrepreneurship & Employment. I will repeat this because it is
so important. My dad had an official invitation from a senior
Iranian official and an Iranian visa. In her invitation letter
to my dad, Mrs. Molaverdi said that she wanted my dad to speak
in Iran because of his countless knowledge, valuable
experience, and deep creativeness. Yet despite these nice-
sounding words, after the conference my dad was kidnapped on
his way to the airport. Since then, he has been detained and
held against his will at the notorious Evin Prison. This is why
my dad has said throughout this ordeal that he was invited and
kidnapped.
I was not alive, of course, the first time Iranians took
Americans hostages in 1979, so this is the first time in my
short years that I have heard anything like this. So I decided
to research about it, found nothing. This is baffling. It seems
as if this is the first time anyone, much less an ICT expert,
is invited by a government as a guest then gets kidnapped by
that same government. Taking innocent people hostage is not
what civilized governments do. This is why we have repeatedly
urged the unconditional release of my dad. To his captors in
Iran: Please let my dad go. My dad was in Iran as your guest,
why do you treat him this way?
It has been 2 years since my father was stolen away from
our family. It has been a rough time. In addition to the bad
things that have been done to him in Evin, his mother, our
grandmother, died last year and my dad was not able to say
goodbye to her. We talked about these things since I have had
the privilege to speak to him on the phone. His voice and tone
alone have made me feel the suffering he has had to endure to
this point.
These 2 years have done so much damage to him physically
that I would never wish this upon anyone in the world. All of
this pain and suffering has led my dad to his fifth hunger
strike. Why, because he tells me and my brothers that we do not
put our heads down for anyone. My dad said that he would rather
die for his cause than live with injustice. He told me it is
about liberty or death. He did not say whether he was quoting
the famous American Patrick Henry, but he has been inspired
throughout his whole life about the American experience of
liberty and freedom.
My father has been called a prisoner of conscience. This is
very difficult for me to say, but as my dad has said, again, he
would rather die than succumb to his captors. Even in Evin
Prison, in his own way, my dad thinks of other prisoners and
what they are going through including some who have family here
today. To these families, I know my dad, and if he can I know
that he will do all he can in his power to help your loved ones
get out as well.
This is his 30th day on hunger strike. I fear for his life
and safety. My dad spoke to me briefly this morning. He said he
knows that Americans stand for liberty and freedom and that
they won't let him down. You may not be aware that my dad is a
horseman. He said today he is no longer feeling hunger, but
rather severe, excruciating colic pain tearing him from inside,
exactly similar to what a horse feels when he is severely sick.
Please, I plead with you, the American people, the people
from our ancestral homeland, Lebanon, please do not let my
father die in Iran. We ask anyone in a position to do so to
please help my brothers and I be reunited with our father.
Thank you very much for this special opportunity.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Zakka follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
----------
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you very much, Mr. Zakka. Thank
you, very mature and professional presentation as well as
heartfelt and emotional and I am sorry that you had to grow up
so fast, along with Mr. Levinson, before your time you became
adults.
Mr. Levinson, your father as we have discussed is the
longest-held American citizen in our nation's history, and his
disappearance in 2007 means that your family has interacted
with three U.S. administrations in the White House. Can you
tell us about the level of engagement the U.S. Government has
had with your father's case over the last decade, and do you
feel that the current administration is giving your father's
case the appropriate amount of resources? Can you describe how,
if at all, the current administration's approach may differ
from the previous two administrations? Thank you, sir.
Mr. Levinson. Absolutely. Thank you for the question.
Just this past week, my mother as well as several of my
siblings came to DC and we met with various U.S. Government
officials at the White House, at the State Department, as well
as the FBI. The FBI has been absolutely incredible over the
past 10 years. They truly make us feel as if we are family
because my father was an FBI agent for 22 years.
I think that over the past 10 years we have been told the
same things over and over again, ``Stay silent'' or ``Now it is
time to be more public.'' It has been fluctuating for 10 years
of doing press and not doing press. And it is incredibly
disappointing to my family that it has been 10 years of this
over and over and over again and three administrations.
We are optimistic about the White House statement that was
released on Friday saying that there will be severe
consequences if the Iranian Government does not release my
father and the other Americans being held, and we are
optimistic by that because that is some of the strongest
language that we have heard in the past 10 years, but it is a
great first start. It is a great first step and we are looking
for more.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you very much.
Mr. Namazi, you testified that your father has lost more
than 30 pounds and he has been hospitalized twice in the last
few months. And your brother, well, his detention conditions
are horrific. He has been subjected to psychological torment.
Can you tell us what kind of access they are getting for their
health needs, any attention whatsoever? And how can the U.S.
Government, have we been advocating for their health needs
while they are in prison?
Mr. Namazi. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I think what has
been lacking, well, for my family ever since this nightmare
started is really understanding what has been happening to my
father and Siamak. When my dad was hospitalized this was not
information that was shared with us in advance. This is
something we found out after the fact from my father. When we
asked him why he was hospitalized there was not much he could
tell us. He had no access to medical records from this
hospitalization, and we were never formally advised of what
conditions and what records they were.
There has been a lot of pressure because of this from the
U.S. Government, from my family, from everyone who cares,
really, and I believe that he has been getting more medical
attention because he has already been hospitalized twice. But I
fear that this is not enough and I fear that at any moment my
father may die. And I hate saying this, I also didn't think I
would ever have to sit in this room and testify and describe
these horrible conditions. So I think what is really urgently
needed are ways to get my family out before it is too late.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. And the clock is ticking and you fear for
their survival.
Mr. Namazi. Yes. I mean the days, the weeks, the months,
they are going by and this situation continues to deteriorate
very rapidly. We are not talking about a condition that has
just come about. My father has had heart surgery in the past.
He has had heart condition in the past. Siamak has been pushed
over the edge. He is under relentless pressure and
interrogations. All signs indicate that they are succeeding in,
you know, taking away his will and really breaking him.
So we are desperate. We are desperate and we are
completely, until today, at a loss of why this is happening to
our family.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. We hear your pleas and we will act on
those.
And Mr. Zakka, thank you so much for your emotional
testimony. Now in November of last year, Iran's Javad Zarif
talked about your dad and he said that the matter of your dad
is a U.S.-Iranian problem. And one of the leading networks also
asked Rouhani about your father. What message do you have for
Zarif, for Rouhani, for any other Iranian regime leader who can
help your father?
Mr. Zakka. You wouldn't expect anyone to be invited into
their home and you hurt them. When you invite someone to your
home you must respect them, respect the people that walk into
your home and do not harm them. Thank you.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you very much, excellent witnesses
and just a horrific set of circumstances.
And it is my pleasure to recognize Mr. Deutch for his
question and answer.
Mr. Deutch. And I thank my friend the chairman.
Doug and Babak and Omar, it is difficult to testify before
Congress. It is particularly difficult to have to appear to
share something as painful as what each of you is going
through. I would just suggest that and let you know that the
service that you are providing the country, not just Bob and
Siamak and Bakar and Nizar, but the service you are providing
the country by giving us the opportunity to pause for a moment
and remember that with all of the challenges that Washington
faces and all of the things that are so dividing our country,
at a moment when Americans are being held abroad wrongly as
hostages and it is a moment that the country has to come
together and you are providing that opportunity for all of us
and for that we are grateful.
Doug, I know that your mom and your brother Dan traveled to
Iran shortly after your dad went missing. Have you had any
further engagement with Iran since that first trip? Are there
plans to go back?
Mr. Levinson. Yes, so actually my brother Dan traveled to
Iran, Kish Island, himself, just almost 2 years ago after the
previous hearing. If that is any sign of how desperate we are,
my brother traveled there by himself to Kish Island to retrace
my father's footsteps again and talk to anybody there that
could help us.
We would love to go back. Hopefully we won't need to.
Hopefully they can send him home. But if we need to, we are
looking into putting in our request to go back over there.
Mr. Deutch. The hearing today is obviously being broadcast.
Is there anything that you would like to say to the people who
are holding your father, Doug?
Mr. Levinson. I would say we need Bob Levinson. We need my
father back now. It has been 10 years. He has missed so much,
if that picture of me is any physical evidence or can tell you
how long it has been, how much of our lives he has missed. He
is a good man. He is a decent, good and decent man. Please send
him back home.
Mr. Deutch. Is there a particular message we can send to
the new administration, Members of Congress?
Mr. Levinson. Yes. Like I said in my testimony, do not let
Iran off the hook. They know exactly where he is. Put as much
pressure as possible on them and this administration. If there
is a way to sanction an organization or an individual over
there and hold that as a terms of release of my father saying
that we will not ease those sanctions unless you return Bob
Levinson, that is one suggestion. I think that it is absolutely
devastating to my family that it has been 10 years and the U.S.
public, not everybody knows about Bob Levinson and not
everybody knows about the longest-held hostage in American
history who is still being held.
Mr. Deutch. And finally, if you would like on behalf of
your mom and your siblings, you have not had the opportunity to
speak with your dad, what message would you send to him?
Mr. Levinson. I would tell him, I would say Dad, we are
never going to stop. We will never stop fighting to get you
home. We are doing everything we possibly can every single day.
We miss you. We love you. Please stay strong. We are going to
get you home.
Mr. Deutch. Doug, I can only promise you and Christine and
Dan and your family and the Namazi family and the Zakka family
that the chair and I and the members of this committee and the
members of the United States Congress will continue to work and
press and do everything we can until all of your loved ones
return where they belong here at home. And I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Deutch, for your
leadership on this issue.
Mr. Zeldin of New York?
Mr. Zeldin. Thank you, Madam Chair. And first off, to the
Levinson family I can personally attest from being in many
settings with your congressman that when you are not around, no
cameras, no media, when it is just your congressman with anyone
who can possibly do anything to help you, it is the very first
thing and he advocates very passionately on your behalf. I
can't even, I have lost count of just how many times I have
been in the settings with him where he was advocating on behalf
of you and your family. It is important for you to know that
because none of that does get covered. And I also know that he
is not doing it to get covered, he is doing it to bring your
dad home, to bring your spouse home.
As far as when we look at the debate over Iran and the Iran
nuclear deal, there is discussion over the letter of the deal
and there is the discussion over the spirit of the deal. And
the spirit of the deal you can look at all of Iran's bad
activities in total to see whether or not Iran is abiding by
the spirit of the deal. I think today's hearing is showing the
faces of Iran violating the spirit of the deal.
Every time Iran is chanting death to America in their
streets, on their holidays, calling us the Great Satan, calling
Israel the Little Satan, test firing intercontinental ballistic
missiles in violation of U.N. resolutions, working to overthrow
foreign governments or financing terror, actively doing it
right now with the money that was provided to them in the
sanctions relief, they are violating the spirit of the deal.
And part of the process of recertifying every 3 months the
Iran nuclear deal is not just whether or not Iran is in
compliance with the letter of the JCPOA, but also whether or
not the deal is in America's national interest, it is in the
best interest of America's national security. And unfortunately
what we gave up was our leverage that brought the Iranians to
the table. As we were negotiating the JCPOA, the Iranians
needed the deal more than we did. Not only were we propping up
a bad regime, we certainly were propping up the wrong regime
when you look at the other options. And if someone was to say
they only spent $1 billion or $3 billion on terror that is $1
billion or $3 billion more than we should have been providing
to them through the sanctions relief.
So now we have these Americans being unjustly imprisoned
and the Iranians are not at the table. And that is why I
believe that when we were negotiating the deal in the first
place all of these other bad activities should have been part
of the agreement because I don't know what leverage right now
we have to have the Iranians come to the table begging to
release your family members.
And I think it is important for Congress and the
administration and for the American public, but also for the
international community, because this isn't just the United
States, to all be working together to increase sanctions on
Iran's bad activities to get back to that point where the
Iranians are begging for the sanctions relief. And at that
point as they are begging for the sanctions relief we should be
putting down a red line that says we will absolutely not agree
to this deal unless you release our American prisoners being
unjustly held. It is a red line that should have gotten thrown
down last time and it is a red line that should be taken into
consideration for next time.
And in order for that red line to be effective, I believe
that Congress needs to be increasing the sanctions on the
Iranians and that the Americans need to work on putting the
teeth back into these sanctions working with our allies in
other countries, because I think that too is part of the
purpose of us being here. One is to hear your incredibly moving
testimony, to see your faces as the face of Iran's bad
activities and your family members as the face of Iran's bad
activities, but to do something about it because you want your
family members home.
And you know what, with Iranians, asking nicely isn't going
to make it happen because these aren't good people. They don't
respect weakness, they only respect strength. And to get them
back to the table and to get your family members home, the
pressure needs to get ramped back up and we need to stop
playing nice with the wrong regime, a regime that appeases
hardliners and certainly doesn't have your family members' best
interest in mind. I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you very much, Mr. Zeldin.
Mr. Schneider?
Mr. Schneider. Thank you. And again I just want to
emphasize my gratitude to the chairman and ranking member for
calling this hearing, for each of you for sharing your stories.
I am the father of two sons same age as you, Mr. Levinson, 9
months on either side of you. I am a very proud dad. I can't
speak on behalf of your fathers, but I can speak with certainty
that they are very proud of you here today, so thank you for
sharing your story.
Mr. Levinson, you have had the unfortunate circumstance,
you and your family, of working with now three administrations.
To the extent that you are willing to share, could you help us
understand the differences in approach, if any, that this
administration is taking, or steps and actions you would like
to see this administration take?
Mr. Levinson. Absolutely. Thank you for your comments. Like
I said, the statement put out last week by the White House was
some of the most strong and powerful language directed at the
Iranians. I believe it is quoted as saying there will be severe
consequences if they do not return Bob Levinson and the other
American hostages and all other American hostages.
I think throughout the past 10 years we have seen--we have
constantly been told the same thing that we are doing
everything we can. But on January 16th, it was apparent that
not everything that they could have done was done.
Mr. Schneider. January 16th last year.
Mr. Levinson. Correct, 2016.
Mr. Schneider. Right.
Mr. Levinson. My father was not part of the JCPOA. After
the other Americans were released, I believe in the deal it is
stated that Iran will continue to cooperate on working to find
my father, and they have not. I have to make that clear. They
have not. We have not heard anything from them cooperating with
the United States Government.
I think for this administration again the statement was a
good first start, first step. Truly it is encouraging to us.
However, statements need to be backed with action, and if they
do not release my father there needs to be consequences.
Mr. Schneider. Agreed.
Mr. Namazi, as I understand it, you and your family had the
chance to meet with Ambassador Haley at the U.N. From your
perspective, to the extent you can share again and outcomes,
effects that that meeting had, the effect of having the U.N.
and UNICEF engaged in your father's case, could you expand on
that if you would?
Mr. Namazi. Thank you. As you mentioned, my father worked
for over 20 years for UNICEF so it obviously makes a lot of
sense for the U.N. to be highly engaged and they have been
engaged. Meeting with Ambassador Haley was extremely helpful to
bring the attention that it is not just a concern in
Washington, obviously, which is a very high concern as it
should be, but also the U.N. community and the U.N. family is
extremely concerned for the well-being of my father. So I found
a lot of support from Ambassador Haley and it has publicly been
reported afterward of course. Secretary-General Guterres has
also as a result been engaged following by the former
Secretary-General.
All these engagements of course are very helpful, but at
the end of the day what matters to me, to my mom, what matters
the most to my dad and Siamak is the results. It has been
almost this past week marked 2 years that Siamak was prevented
from leaving. It is about 20 months that this nightmare has
been going on for my father who is not doing well. And all the
engagements are great. They are increasing. We are getting a
lot of access and meeting with the officials. And I do look
forward to all these to bear the result of seeing my father and
Siamak.
Mr. Schneider. Thank you. And I will close with this. There
is but one measure of success here and it is Siamak and Bakar,
it is Robert Levinson, it is Nizar Zakka coming home.
I have not sat in the chairs you sit in today as a witness,
it is difficult to testify before Congress I have no doubt.
Again I just want to emphasize to all three of you, you have
spoken on behalf of your families, your brother and fathers, in
a way that makes all of us proud. Please know that we will do
all we can all the time to make sure that that measure of
success, bringing them home, is achieved sooner rather than
later. Thank you very much and I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Well said. Thank you so much, Mr.
Schneider.
Ambassador Wagner of Missouri?
Mrs. Wagner. Thank you, Madam Chair, for shining a
spotlight on Iran's hostages. My heart breaks for those who
have been arbitrarily detained in Iran and I am hopeful that
this hearing will help the U.S. Government better respond to
these tragedies. The abuse you and your family members have
suffered at the hands of the Iranian regime is appalling and I
am in awe of your bravery and your perseverance.
In 2015, the Obama administration issued a presidential
policy directive on U.S. hostage policy stating that the U.S.
Government would share more information with families and take
into consideration each family's particular needs. To each of
you, do you believe the Obama administration took steps to
better communicate with families, and what would you recommend
changing or not changing about the U.S. hostage policy?
Mr. Levinson, we will start with you.
Mr. Levinson. On the topic of communication, like I said we
found out that the others were released as part of the JCPOA by
watching the news. My mother got a phone call that morning. My
phone--I was sleeping. I believe it was a Saturday--Sunday,
Sunday. I was sleeping in because I was still in college. And
when I woke up I saw 50 text messages and missed calls and I
thought to myself, oh, my gosh. This could be it. And it was
not. It was the complete opposite.
The FBI has continued to be a great friend and partner and
investigator in trying to get my father home. They have always
been in constant contact with us. For recommendations I would
say just get all these Americans home and there won't need to
be a communication issue the next time that happens.
Mrs. Wagner. Thank you, Mr. Levinson.
Mr. Namazi?
Mr. Namazi. We had a horrible experience, actually. I mean
during the Obama administration we found out on television like
the Levinson family that initially my brother Siamak was
released and part of the swap. There were obviously, I can't
describe the feeling of joy and the feeling of happiness that
my brother has been released. That feeling was crushed within
an hour that in fact Siamak was not part of the swap and for
reasons which were not really clear to me until today, he was
left behind.
And all this is unraveling on television, no one was
communicating with us at that time. And when I was trying to
find out information afterwards within the first 24 hours was
very difficult to get clarity, and then finally we were told
that there was a promise made by Foreign Minister Zarif to
Secretary Kerry that Siamak would be released within weeks. The
communication obviously got better because it couldn't get any
worse, I would imagine, after everything that unraveled as it
did that day.
I think the Office of the Special Envoy is an important
office. I mean obviously taking that horrible night which was a
huge, huge nightmare for my family not to have any
communication, even getting a warning in advance that be
prepared that this will happen and then that Siamak for
whatever reason is not part of it, but thereafter that office
had been helpful to at least keeping us informed on a regular
basis. That office, the particular position has not been filled
under the Trump administration, but we have had regular
communications which started slowly but it has picked up pace
on that aspect of it.
So, but obviously again I doubt everything can be shared
with us, but you know, you don't want empty hope but you want
to feel that we are heading toward a situation where your
family and your loved ones will come home.
Mrs. Wagner. Thank you, Mr. Namazi.
Mr. Zakka?
Mr. Zakka. I am not really sure how everything works here
and how people should have received news, but how I receive my
news is I go online like anyone else and read the news. But
recently my dad has been able to talk to me and throughout
those communications I am able to receive the news that I need.
Mrs. Wagner. I have a couple more questions, Madam Chair,
but I will--I have run out of my time. I will just say that
like I said my heart breaks for you. I will proudly join my
colleagues on the House floor tomorrow when we vote for this
sanctions package. I will speak out on the floor tomorrow
morning during the 10:00 a.m. hour on behalf of your loved
ones. I thank you.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Ambassador Wagner.
That voice is needed and we appreciate the bipartisan support
that our bill has received. Thank you to the witnesses today.
Sometimes as you have pointed out, it is hard for you to know
whether to become public, whether to speak out on behalf of
your loved ones who are imprisoned in this country, the largest
state-sponsored terrorism, still, in the world, but I think
that you have made the right choice. I think that you have been
leading advocates and no one knows about their suffering better
than the people whom they love. So thank you for being such
strong champions and strong advocates for your loved ones.
And with that, the hearing is adjourned. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 4:16 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
[all]