By Janet Ekstract
NEW YORK -On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a new executive order, (E.O.) that gives the U.S. government expanded methods to deter and disrupt hostage-taking and wrongful detentions of Americans abroad. Brittney Griner’s high-profile detention in Moscow and whose court case is ongoing brought the plight of hostages and those wrongfully detained abroad to the forefront as U.S. families of those detained made it clear that their loved ones safe return is paramount.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained the purpose of the new E.O. – that it “builds on the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.” Blinken commented: “When Americans are taken captive abroad, we must do everything in our power to secure their release.” Blinken said that he, the President and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to the families of the hostages who are, as he said “meeting the extraordinary challenge of advocating for a loved one held captive.”
Blinken added that he is “grateful” for the “partnership” with American families of those detained and said “we are all humbled by their courage.” He added that this executive order “prioritizes U.S. government support for families and instructs U.S. officials to expeditiously share relevant information and strategies, as appropriate, for securing their loved one’s release.” The E.O. will allow the U.S. to impose financial and travel sanctions on the responsible parties who are holding U.S. nationals against their will, unjustly and whether their captor is a terrorist network or a state actor. He also said that in sync with the E.O., the State Department also plans to introduce a “new risk indicator” to its Travel Advisories – the “D” indicator, that would warn U.S. citizens of the risk of wrongful detention by a foreign government. Blinken said: “We are adding this indicator to highlight the elevated risk of wrongful detention, in particular, countries that have regularly engaged in this practice.” The secretary of state added: “The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. nationals overseas.” The current E.O. and “D” indicator show this commitment, Blinken said. He also commented that the U.S. government will continue “to be relentless” in efforts to reunite Americans with their loved ones who are held hostage or wrongfully detained.
