Latest news with #FoleyFoundation
Newsweek
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
What We Know About Americans Freed in Venezuela Prisoner Swap
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A group of 10 Americans freed in a hostage exchange with Venezuela included a U.S. Navy sailor and a water sports fan, reports say. When contacted for comment, the U.S. State Department told Newsweek on Saturday that for privacy reasons, the individuals would not be identified nor their cases disclosed. However, a statement to Newsweek by the Foley Foundation, which advocates for captives held overseas, named four of the U.S. nationals who had been held for months in the South American country. Hostage Aid Worldwide named another two U.S. nationals. The group was exchanged for more than 250 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and flown in March to El Salvador's high-security prison. A detained Venezuelan being assisted off the plane upon arrival at Simon Bolivar International Airport during a prisoner exchange between Venezuela and the U.S. on July 18. A detained Venezuelan being assisted off the plane upon arrival at Simon Bolivar International Airport during a prisoner exchange between Venezuela and the U.S. on July It Matters The complicated deal involving three countries gives Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a diplomatic coup, helps U.S. President Donald Trump in his goal of bringing home Americans jailed abroad and offers a political boost to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who proposed the exchange. What To Know On Friday, Venezuela released 10 jailed U.S. citizens and permanent residents in exchange for migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador in March under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Bukele said El Salvador had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the Americans were being repatriated. The Foley Foundation named four American citizens: Wilbert Castaneda, who had been in custody for 325 days; Jorge Marcelo Vargas, in prison for 304 days; Renzo Castillo, in prison for 299 days; and Lucas Hunter, in prison for 192 days. Hostage Aid Worldwide named another two American nationals: Jonathan Pagan González, who was arrested in October, and Fabian Buglione Reyes, a Uruguayan national living in the U.S. who was arrested at a checkpoint in October. Diane Foley, the founder and president of the Foley Foundation, said in a statement to Newsweek that she applauded "the unprecedented pace set by the Trump administration in securing the release of Americans wrongfully detained around the world." Castaneda, a former Navy SEAL, had been detained in Venezuela while on personal travel and was later accused of leading a CIA-linked plot, CBS News reported. In a statement, his family said he had been "used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime," the outlet reported. Hunter was on a windsurfing and motorcycling trip through Paraguachón, Colombia, near the border with Venezuela, when Venezuelan guards coerced him into crossing and arrested him in January, his family wrote on a website created for him. Sophie Hunter, his sister, said in a statement via the group Global Reach, "My family and I are so happy to hear that my brother, Lucas, was released by Venezuela today." A detained Venezuelan arriving at Simon Bolivar International Airport as part of a prisoner swap between Venezuela and the United States on July 18. A detained Venezuelan arriving at Simon Bolivar International Airport as part of a prisoner swap between Venezuela and the United States on July to the exchange were the 250 Venezuelan migrants freed by El Salvador, which had housed them in its notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, after the Trump administration used the Alien Enemies Act to deport them. The Trump administration accused them of belonging to the Tren de Aragua street gang in a case condemned by rights groups. The deportation resulted in a legal fight that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. State Department released an image of the 10 U.S. nationals and said in a statement on Saturday that the president had made it a priority to bring home Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained. "We also welcome the release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees from Venezuelan prisons," the statement continued. It added, "The United States continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela and call for the release of all remaining political prisoners." What People Are Saying The U.S. State Department said in a statement: "President Trump has made it a priority to bring home Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained, and the State Department will continue to work to ensure every American held unjustly abroad is released and returned home." Diane Foley, the founder and president of the Foley Foundation, said in a statement: "We applaud the unprecedented pace set by the Trump administration in securing the release of Americans wrongfully detained around the world. Today's release of 10 U.S. nationals held captive by the Maduro regime extends that record of success." What Happens Next The U.S. secretary of state has said every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and "back in our homeland." However, the fate of the Venezuelans returning home is unclear. Maduro can use the deal to reaffirm support among his base as he asserts himself as president despite evidence that he lost reelection last year and the U.S. and other nations viewing him as an illegitimate leader.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
I was wrongfully imprisoned abroad. The US must do more to help people like me.
I was wrongfully imprisoned abroad. The US must do more to help people like me. This summer will mark five years since I was wrongfully imprisoned by the Rwandan government. For 939 days I sat in prison, cut off from family and community. It was a nightmare I couldn't escape. Show Caption Hide Caption Mother of freed Hamas-held Israeli-American hostage speaks to son The mother of Israeli-American Edan Alexander, who was held captive for 19 months by Hamas, spoke to her son for the first time since being freed. Paul Rusesabagina, known for his actions during the Rwandan genocide, was arbitrarily detained for 939 days. Arbitrary detentions of Americans abroad have risen significantly, increasing from four countries in 2001 to 27 in 2023. Rusesabagina advocates for stronger U.S. government support for detainees and their families, including clearer agency roles and improved coordination. He highlights the need for improvements to the Levinson Act, urging clearer guidelines for wrongful detention designations and responses, especially for human rights defenders. This summer will mark five years since I was kidnapped and wrongfully imprisoned by the Rwandan government. For 939 days, I sat in prison, cut off from my family and community. I was held in solitary confinement, denied medical care and often unable to speak with my lawyers. The days felt endless ‒ like a nightmare I couldn't escape. For my family, it was a different sort of nightmare. Overnight, their lives were transformed. My wife and children were left to navigate the complex web of U.S. federal offices tasked with hostage recovery. My family became full-time advocates for my return, pleading my case before U.S. government officials and sharing my story with the news media. They recruited everyone from national nonprofits and grassroots organizations to Hollywood celebrities who had first learned my story from the movie 'Hotel Rwanda.' Led by my family's passion and persistence, all of these groups played a role in securing my freedom in 2023. There are no words to describe my gratitude. Alongside that gratitude is my fierce commitment to ensure that no individual ‒ and no family ‒ goes through this alone. More Americans are being detained abroad. We can't leave them behind. Over the past two decades, there has been a significant rise in the overseas arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents like me. Arbitrary detention means someone is detained without due process, and most of the time as reprisal for exercising their rights or being a member of a targeted group. In 2001, only four countries had arbitrarily detained a U.S. national. In 2023, that number had grown to 27 countries. According to the Foley Foundation, at least 54 Americans were held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas during 2024. Opinion: Terrorists killed James Foley, my journalist son, and threaten others. Democracy needs them to be safe. The stories behind these statistics are chilling. Cambodian American human rights activist Theary Seng was jailed and sentenced to six years in prison for criticizing Cambodia's dictator on social media. Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced to more than six years after the Russian government accused her of spreading falsehoods about the army. I was jailed without a fair trial and punished for speaking out against Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his repressive regime. Addressing the rise in arbitrary detention, wrongful detention and hostage-taking isn't just about justice on an individual level. It's about safeguarding the very foundation of democracy ‒ the ability to speak out without the threat of a jail cell. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Across administrations and across party lines, the United States has historically been committed to helping people who are wrongfully detained overseas, whether they are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents like myself or citizens of other countries who are victimized by oppressive regimes. Amid an international context of increasing authoritarianism, it is more important than ever that the U.S. government provide a strong, unified front in fighting for the return of arbitrarily detained individuals and supporting the families left behind. America is capable of protecting its citizens abroad better. I know. My story proves what the U.S. government is capable of when it mobilizes resources and prioritizes democracy. To this day, my daughters speak about the State Department's above-and-beyond efforts to reunite us. For years, congressional representatives championed our cause, writing letters, speaking out and putting pressure on the Kagame regime. But there is still room for improvement. The U.S. government's ability to help detainees and their families is often hindered by the lack of clarity on the specific roles of various government agencies and the logistical difficulty of coordinating with all of those different groups. My family and I recently worked with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the leading nonprofit that took my case to the United Nations when I was detained, to create a new guide that provides strategies and best practices for engaging with the U.S. government on arbitrary detention cases. It's my sincere hope that this resource helps individuals and families who find themselves in our position, desperately trying to secure the return of their loved one. Opinion: Hamas released me. But with my partner still held hostage, I cannot be truly free. Aside from independent resources, we need stronger federal guidance and coordination. The U.S. law that governs hostage recovery, the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, was passed in 2020 and significantly expanded the U.S. legal framework around arbitrary and wrongful detention. But for all its benefits, the Levinson Act doesn't give enough clarity on how the secretary of State makes wrongful detention designations, which is a crucial component of recovery efforts. It also doesn't provide a clear system for how the United States responds to arbitrary detention, particularly in cases involving human rights defenders. Organizations like the Foley Foundation that work closely with arbitrarily detained people and their families have spent years advocating for changes within the U.S. government. Their recommendations range from establishing a direct line of communication among the president, the special presidential envoy and the director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell to creating a more comprehensive reintegration support program for returning hostages and wrongful detainees. Admittedly, there is no one catch-all solution. Arbitrary and wrongful detention is a complex challenge, and addressing it requires ongoing collaboration within the government, strong recovery efforts, effective international relations and prevention strategies that tackle root causes. But all of this starts at home, with domestic policies that protect U.S. nationals and safeguard human rights defenders abroad. I escaped that Rwandan prison because of a powerful joint effort among individuals, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. There were many people who stood up and who fought for my freedom. That community saved my life. In a perfect world, no individual or family would ever go through what I did. But until we get to that point, we must stand alongside arbitrarily detained individuals and their families. The U.S. government has an opportunity to continue being a beacon of hope. Paul Rusesabagina is a Rwandan humanitarian activist and former hotel manager whose actions during the 1994 genocide inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda." He has since become an outspoken critic of authoritarianism in Rwanda and a global voice for justice and peace.
Miami Herald
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Map Shows Where Americans Are Being Detained Overseas
More Americans are being held in Venezuela than in any other foreign country, the State Department revealed last week, buried in a travel warning urging U.S. citizens not to travel to the troubled South American nation. While a spokesperson for the department told Newsweek they could not provide specific numbers of wrongful detentions abroad out of security concerns, there are at least 43 U.S. citizens currently being held hostage or in wrongful detention, based on data provided by a group that advocates for Americans held overseas. President Donald Trump and his administration have taken an urgent approach to bringing detained Americans home, securing the release of 47 people since January 20. Dozens more remain either imprisoned in or unable to leave a foreign country. "The thing we need to keep in mind when we talk wrongful detention, this is hostage taking by foreign powers," Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, told Newsweek. "We are not looking at legitimate charges or legitimate judicial processes, as we understand them in United States. When we talk capture countries, we're talking about countries, and the leaders in those countries, who have purposely decided to treat human beings as bargaining chips." The Foley Foundation, set up in memory of the journalist James Foley who was brutally murdered by ISIS in 2014, advocates for the return of Americans being held overseas. Its most recent annual report, published in March, tracks those detained and released in the past year. It estimates that 54 Americans were held hostage or wrongfully detained in 17 countries in 2024, with between six and nine in Venezuela, eight in China, five in Russia and four in Afghanistan. Others were held in Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Territories. Wrongful detention does not refer to the roughly 98 percent of American arrests overseas each year linked to legitimate law enforcement and judicial processes, the Foley Foundation says. In other words, it does not include those arrested following alleged criminal or civil actions in which evidence of a crime has been made public. The federal government typically allows those to play out in the respective country's legal system. In order for the State Department to consider a detention "wrongful", a case has to pass through a series of tests known as the Levinson Criteria. That includes whether a person is being held purely because they are an American citizen, if the foreign country is doing so in order to influence the U.S. government, and even if the person is being held in violation of the foreign country's own laws. Richards told Newsweek that this criterion does not cover all Americans who cannot come home. "Now we know the U.S. government doesn't publicly put out any numbers, and when we say 43 Americans, we count exit bans in our numbers," Richards said. "Our understanding is the U.S. government currently doesn't count exit bands as wrongful detentions, though we think that might be evolving, and we would hope that the U.S. government would eventually treat exit bands as any other type of wrongful detention." Exit bans stop people from leaving the country they are in, though they are not held in a prison or jail. The Foley Foundation estimated that around a quarter of Americans wrongfully held last year were subjected to such orders. A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek that the department does not provide specific numbers on wrongful detentions due to privacy, security and "other reasons." On May 6, the White House put out a list of some of the 47 Americans the Trump administration had successfully brought back to the U.S. since January, including ballerina Ksenia Karelina, held in Russia for 14 months, and Marc Fogel, a teacher also held in Russia for several years. While high-profile cases like these receive the bulk of media attention, Richards said many wrongfully detained Americans remain overseas without much hope. "Sometimes it's difficult for families to get attention to their case and we only know cases where there's public information available, or the family has come to us for support," she said. "Some families will choose to be quiet, choose not to work with anyone and that's fine, that their right, and we work with plenty of families too, where we don't publish the name of their loved one," she added. "But that's always the choice of that family advocating for them, but if we don't have clear metrics, it makes it difficult I think for the general public to understand the scale and the scope of the problem." The State Department spokesperson told Newsweek that President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were committed to bringing all Americans unjustly detained overseas home, but factors such as a lack of U.S. embassy or poor diplomatic relations can make the work of State Department officials difficult. Many Americans wrongfully detained are held for months or years. George Glezmann was taken by the Taliban in Afghanistan, where there is no longer an American embassy, and held for 836 days. He was finally released in March. Venezuela, highlighted by the State Department on May 27, also does not have a U.S. embassy. The relationship between the two countries remains strained. "Venezuelan security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years without respect to due process, in harsh conditions-including torture-frequently based solely on their U.S. nationality or U.S. passport," the department said in a press release. The Foley Foundation noted in its annual report that through the end of 2024, the State Department had not included those held in Venezuela as wrongfully detained. The Trump administration's announcement last week, which included a warning for Americans not to travel to Venezuela over fears of wrongful detention, marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy. The Bring Our Families Home project, funded by the Foley Foundation, lists the names and faces of those still wrongfully held abroad, including Wilbert Castaneda, an American sailor and father of four who was "forcibly disappeared" by the Venezuelan government, according to the project. The project lists nine others it is actively working on behalf of to secure their release, from Venezuela, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations like the Foley Foundation and Amnesty International are continuing their work to free U.S. citizens alongside the federal government. In 2024, 17 Americans were released - including three hostages - with some freed as part of prisoner exchanges. That number has been far surpassed already in 2025, with the White House making the announcement in early May that the new administration had already secured the release of 47 Americans. "We are tracking more returns so far for this year than all of 2024, so that is excellent and we would love to see that continue," Richards said, adding that she believes there is always more which could be done by the government. "One challenge we know our families routinely face is just trying to get U.S. government leaders to meet with them, to learn the stories of their loved ones, and trying to get that up to the president of the United States." Related Articles U.S. Doubles Down on Iran Nuclear ThreatIndia-Pakistan Update: Trump Offers to Help After Missile StrikesMarco Rubio Has the State Department Back on Mission | OpinionUS-China Military Rivalry Flares in the Middle East 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows Where Americans Are Being Detained Overseas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. More Americans are being held in Venezuela than in any other foreign country, the State Department revealed last week, buried in a travel warning urging U.S. citizens not to travel to the troubled South American nation. While a spokesperson for the department told Newsweek they could not provide specific numbers of wrongful detentions abroad out of security concerns, there are at least 43 U.S. citizens currently being held hostage or in wrongful detention, based on data provided by a group that advocates for Americans held overseas. President Donald Trump and his administration have taken an urgent approach to bringing detained Americans home, securing the release of 47 people since January 20. Dozens more remain either imprisoned in or unable to leave a foreign country. "The thing we need to keep in mind when we talk wrongful detention, this is hostage taking by foreign powers," Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, told Newsweek. "We are not looking at legitimate charges or legitimate judicial processes, as we understand them in United States. When we talk capture countries, we're talking about countries, and the leaders in those countries, who have purposely decided to treat human beings as bargaining chips." The Foley Foundation, set up in memory of the journalist James Foley who was brutally murdered by ISIS in 2014, advocates for the return of Americans being held overseas. Its most recent annual report, published in March, tracks those detained and released in the past year. It estimates that 54 Americans were held hostage or wrongfully detained in 17 countries in 2024, with between six and nine in Venezuela, eight in China, five in Russia and four in Afghanistan. Others were held in Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Territories. What Is Wrongful Detention? Wrongful detention does not refer to the roughly 98 percent of American arrests overseas each year linked to legitimate law enforcement and judicial processes, the Foley Foundation says. In other words, it does not include those arrested following alleged criminal or civil actions in which evidence of a crime has been made public. The federal government typically allows those to play out in the respective country's legal system. In order for the State Department to consider a detention "wrongful", a case has to pass through a series of tests known as the Levinson Criteria. That includes whether a person is being held purely because they are an American citizen, if the foreign country is doing so in order to influence the U.S. government, and even if the person is being held in violation of the foreign country's own laws. Richards told Newsweek that this criterion does not cover all Americans who cannot come home. "Now we know the U.S. government doesn't publicly put out any numbers, and when we say 43 Americans, we count exit bans in our numbers," Richards said. "Our understanding is the U.S. government currently doesn't count exit bands as wrongful detentions, though we think that might be evolving, and we would hope that the U.S. government would eventually treat exit bands as any other type of wrongful detention." Exit bans stop people from leaving the country they are in, though they are not held in a prison or jail. The Foley Foundation estimated that around a quarter of Americans wrongfully held last year were subjected to such orders. A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek that the department does not provide specific numbers on wrongful detentions due to privacy, security and "other reasons." A Difficult Dance of Diplomacy Left: U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States after being released from Russian custody, at the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Right: US-Russian ballet dancer Ksenia... Left: U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States after being released from Russian custody, at the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Right: US-Russian ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina and her boyfriend South African boxer Chris van Heerden embrace as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, following her release from Russia on April 10, 2025. More Al Drago/ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images On May 6, the White House put out a list of some of the 47 Americans the Trump administration had successfully brought back to the U.S. since January, including ballerina Ksenia Karelina, held in Russia for 14 months, and Marc Fogel, a teacher also held in Russia for several years. While high-profile cases like these receive the bulk of media attention, Richards said many wrongfully detained Americans remain overseas without much hope. "Sometimes it's difficult for families to get attention to their case and we only know cases where there's public information available, or the family has come to us for support," she said. "Some families will choose to be quiet, choose not to work with anyone and that's fine, that their right, and we work with plenty of families too, where we don't publish the name of their loved one," she added. "But that's always the choice of that family advocating for them, but if we don't have clear metrics, it makes it difficult I think for the general public to understand the scale and the scope of the problem." The State Department spokesperson told Newsweek that President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were committed to bringing all Americans unjustly detained overseas home, but factors such as a lack of U.S. embassy or poor diplomatic relations can make the work of State Department officials difficult. Many Americans wrongfully detained are held for months or years. George Glezmann was taken by the Taliban in Afghanistan, where there is no longer an American embassy, and held for 836 days. He was finally released in March. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters as he celebrates the results of the parliamentary and regional elections at the Bolivar square in Caracas on May 25, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters as he celebrates the results of the parliamentary and regional elections at the Bolivar square in Caracas on May 25, 2025. FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images Venezuela, highlighted by the State Department on May 27, also does not have a U.S. embassy. The relationship between the two countries remains strained. "Venezuelan security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years without respect to due process, in harsh conditions—including torture—frequently based solely on their U.S. nationality or U.S. passport," the department said in a press release. The Foley Foundation noted in its annual report that through the end of 2024, the State Department had not included those held in Venezuela as wrongfully detained. The Trump administration's announcement last week, which included a warning for Americans not to travel to Venezuela over fears of wrongful detention, marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy. Work Ongoing to Bring Americans Home The Bring Our Families Home project, funded by the Foley Foundation, lists the names and faces of those still wrongfully held abroad, including Wilbert Castaneda, an American sailor and father of four who was "forcibly disappeared" by the Venezuelan government, according to the project. The project lists nine others it is actively working on behalf of to secure their release, from Venezuela, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations like the Foley Foundation and Amnesty International are continuing their work to free U.S. citizens alongside the federal government. In 2024, 17 Americans were released — including three hostages — with some freed as part of prisoner exchanges. That number has been far surpassed already in 2025, with the White House making the announcement in early May that the new administration had already secured the release of 47 Americans. "We are tracking more returns so far for this year than all of 2024, so that is excellent and we would love to see that continue," Richards said, adding that she believes there is always more which could be done by the government. "One challenge we know our families routinely face is just trying to get U.S. government leaders to meet with them, to learn the stories of their loved ones, and trying to get that up to the president of the United States."
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Brother of American Detained in China Tells US: ‘Don't Just Talk About It'
National Brother of American Detained in China Tells US: 'Don't Just Talk About It' The brother of an American woman said to be wrongfully held in a Chinese prison for over a decade has a message for the federal government: "Don't just talk about it, be about it." Dawn Michelle Hunt has been in Guangdong Women's Prison since her 2014 arrest for drug smuggling-a charge that she, her brother and father have consistently denied. In a similar case, Nelson Wells Jr. has spent over a decade in a Chinese cell for drug charges that he and his representatives say are dubious. "The time for politicking about this stuff, it's over," Dawn Hunt's brother, Tim Hunt, formerly a 28-year Chicago Police veteran, told Newsweek. "Everybody talks about reaching across the aisle; everybody talks about what's best for America because everybody wants to talk about making America strong. That's cool. countries that ain't as strong are jealous. If they keep taking your people and you don't have a playbook to get your people back, you aren't as strong as you think you are. All these about doing stuff: please, please, please do it. Don't just talk about it, be about it." Dawn Hunt and Wells Jr. are just two of an estimated 200-plus U.S. citizens said to be wrongfully detained by China. Americans John Leung, Kai Li and Mark Swidan came home the day before Thanksgiving last year as part of a prisoner swap, spurred by a congressional committee. It mirrored the return in September of U.S. citizen David Lin after nearly 20 years. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's embassy in the U.S., told Newsweek he was unaware of the detainment of Dawn Hunt and Wells Jr. "I would like to share China's principled position on this matter: China is a country governed by the rule of law and consistently safeguards the safety and lawful rights and interests of foreigners in China in accordance with the law," he said, adding: "At the same time, all foreign nationals in or entering China must abide by Chinese laws, and those who violate the law will be held accountable." Recent Foley Foundation findings show that while some Americans were freed from jails overseas in 2024, progress was minimal. Statistics suggest that more Americans were wrongfully detained between 2015 and 2024 than between 2005 and 2014. "The Foley Foundation is encouraged by the energy the new administration has brought to the issue of hostage recovery, and views the fast start as a hopeful sign that progress can be made on several longstanding cases, in addition to others where American captives are facing acute physical and mental health issues," Elizabeth Richards, Foley Foundation's director of hostage advocacy and research, told Newsweek. US Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler speaks during a US hostage and wrongful detainee flag raising ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC, on March 6, 2025. JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty John Kamm, chair of San Francisco-based nonprofit Dui Hua Foundation, told Newsweek in March that he filed a new appeal to press China for clemency for Dawn Hunt and Wells Jr. "Years ago, a senior Chinese official told me, 'When U.S.-China relations are bad, your work suffers. When U.S.-China relations are good, you benefit,'" he said. "My work is now in the suffer stage." The U.S. Department of State told Newsweek it takes claims of mistreatment of U.S. citizens "seriously" and raises concerns with host governments over credible reports. "The Chinese government arbitrarily enforces local laws without fair and transparent process under the law.... The Department of State continuously monitors the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. citizens overseas, including those in China, for indicators that the detentions may be wrongful," it said. Dawn Hunt, 53, arrived in China after winning a contest, spending about two weeks there. She was then offered a trip to Australia. Contest organizers purportedly gave her a designer bag that, unbeknown to her, was lined with drugs and flagged by airport security, according to Tim Hunt. She was detained, arrested, later found guilty via trial and sentenced to death. She has since developed uterine fibroids and potentially ovarian cancer. Tim Hunt said she had blood transfusions due to heavy bleeding but refused a hysterectomy out of distrust for her caretakers and a medical exam due to fears about China's government collecting her DNA for nefarious reasons, he said. After failed efforts by the Obama, first Trump and Biden administrations, Tim Hunt has cautious optimism that the current one will make detained Americans a priority, citing the releases of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich and Marc Fogel from Russian detention. "I don't care who's in office, OK?" he said. "This isn't political for me; it's not political for the Wells family. This should not happen. We're American." He said he's been in contact with the offices of his Illinois state Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth-who Newsweek contacted for comment-in the hope they will put forward a resolution in Congress urging the release of Americans from their adversary. Dawn Hunt told him on March 28, the last time they spoke, that she is thankful for all domestic efforts toward her release. Moped Accident to Wrongful Detainment Dad-of-three Wells Jr. was arrested in China in May 2014. According to family and representatives, the New Orleans native, 51, had a moped accident in Japan that resulted in a head injury. He traveled to China for medical aid and nearly exhausted his finances. Wells Jr. was arrested by Chinese authorities for drug charges that both he and his family vehemently deny. His term was reduced from life to 22 years in 2019. Wells Jr.'s health has deteriorated since he was jailed. His father, Nelson Wells Sr., told Newsweek that hopes for his son's release fluctuate alongside presidential administrations. Political posturing in the past year has amplified due to U.S. prisoner releases from Russia and China, combined with efforts from the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, or CECC. Yet aside from officials in Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy's office, the Wells say they have had silence from Senator John Kennedy and House Speaker Mike Johnson. A spokesperson for the speaker told Newsweek that Johnson hasn't spoken to the family since Trump took office "but the Speaker's staff has spoken with the Wells family multiple times this year." Former prisoners released by Russia, US journalist Evan Gershkovich (10thL), former US marine Paul Whelan (9thL), and US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (8thL) pose behind a banner reading "Hostages and Wrongful Detainees, Bring Them Home" after landing at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field, Texas, on August 2, 2024. Journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow prisoners released by Russia landed in the United States late August 1, as part of an extraordinary swap deal struck between Washington and Moscow. A plane carrying Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva landed at around 11:40 pm (0340 GMT) at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were waiting to greet them. SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty In 2023, around the time Johnson became speaker, Wells Sr. told CBS affiliate KSLA: "Mike Johnson was the only one that called and explained everything, what he can and cannot do." "Mike Johnson took concern and he said, 'I will do this, look into it and see any loopholes,'" Wells Sr. said. The Wells family shared with Newsweek a letter that Nicholas Burns, then U.S. ambassador to China, sent them on January 13, before the Biden administration concluded. It says that he wrote to Chongqing Prison Administration Bureau's director general about reports of mistreatment and discrimination against Wells Jr.-who is Black and said to be the only minority in his all-Chinese jail-plus his living conditions. Burns said he raised the Wells' request for a video call with their son, adding: "We will continue to closely monitor Nelson's medical situation and are actively working with prison authorities to ensure that he receives necessary medical care." Visits to Wells Jr. by embassy and consular officials every other month were promised by U.S. officials. Burns vowed "continued commitment to support Nelson's welfare and well-being" and to iterate the same to his successor, recently confirmed to be David Perdue. Wells Jr. was in higher spirits during his last conversation with his parents, on February 28. He said he required a colonoscopy, dental work and treatment for an abscess and had another visit with his psychiatrist. "[Meeting with consular officials] lifted his spirits, and I believe that's the reason why he was so cheerful.... he feels as though it is giving him hope. The bad side about that is if nothing materializes. That's what I'm afraid of," Wells Sr. said. What's Next? CECC Chair Christopher Smith said President Donald Trump made imprisoned Americans a priority in his first term and is continuing efforts. "I sent a letter to the president [in February] asking him to prioritize their release and am working to introduce hopefully raise the diplomatic stakes for China and ultimately bring home Americans unjustly detained there," he told Newsweek. Joi Chaney, founder of consulting firm J.O.I. Strategies and adviser to the Wells family, said special hostage envoy Adam Boehler wants to raise more public awareness about Americans held overseas. Peter Humphrey, an ex-prisoner of China who advises imprisoned Americans' families, told Newsweek "now is the time" to contact everyone who can facilitate releases. "We need to get Cassidy and Johnson to reach out now to the hostage envoy's office, and we should be doing so ourselves," he said. "That's on our action list." Richards said a "more adversarial" tone toward China, including tariffs, could hurt efforts, but said: "We admire the passion Boehler has brought to the position. We also have hope that under [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio's leadership, the State Department will be more forward leaning in the support provided to families, especially for families that do not have a wrongful detention designation yet." Related Articles 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
