Relatives of Americans who are wrongfully imprisoned abroad or held hostage by militant groups say in a report the U.S. government still must do better in communicating with them, though improvements have been made over the last five years.
FILE - In this June 19, 2019, file photo, Diane Foley, mother of journalist James Foley, who was killed by the Islamic State terrorist group in a graphic video released online, speaks to the Associated Press during an interview in Washington. Family members of Americans who are imprisoned abroad or held hostage by militant groups say in a new report that the U.S. government must do better in communicating with them. The report from the James W.
Several of those interviewed for the report say they don’t feel their loved one’s cases have the attention of the highest levels of government. In particular, family members of Americans who are detained by foreign governments on trumped-up charges say they feel those cases are less of a priority to the U.S. government than cases involving hostage-taking by militant or criminal groups.
The policy revamp followed the beheadings of Westerners, including Foley, a freelance journalist, at the hands of the Islamic State group in Syria. Relatives of hostages demanded changes after they said U.S. officials threatened prosecution if they tried to pay ransom, kept them out of the loop on rescue attempts and didn’t clearly communicate government policy.
The U.S. government distinguishes hostages who are captured by overseas criminal organizations or by militant groups designated as terrorists from detainees who are held by foreign governments, often arbitrarily or on exaggerated or fabricated charges. The distinction matters in terms of which government agency is responsible for the case.
Most relatives of hostages who were interviewed said they felt they had reliable access to the government, but relatives of detainees did not feel the same, with one family advocate saying they “had to work way too hard to get the State Department’s attention and help.”“There is a notable disparity in the treatment of hostage and wrongful detainee families by the U.S. government, with the latter receiving less attention, information, and access,” the report said. It said “the U.S.
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