White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre reported Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden has received a letter from Siamak Namazi, a U.S. citizen detained in Iran for more than seven years, asking for help after announcing a hunger strike in protest against his imprisonment.
«We have received the letter and our thoughts are with Namazi and his family: we remain committed to securing his freedom,» the spokeswoman said at a press conference.
Jean-Pierre assured that the U.S. government «continues to work to bring him home, along with other U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Iran.»
«Iran’s use of unlawful detention as a political tool is outrageous. The United States will always stand up for its citizens abroad. We have been very clear about that and we are committed,» he said.
The Biden Administration spokeswoman remarked that «this will remain a priority for the American people» as well as «for the president.»
«One of our top priorities is to bring home safely all of our unjustly detained citizens as soon as possible and to resolve the cases of missing and abducted U.S. citizens,» she explained.
Namazi began a hunger strike on Monday, as he has been detained along with other U.S. citizens, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz, since July 2015, being subjected to numerous interrogations.
«All I can do is return my suffering to you. That is why I am going to stop eating for a week, in the hope that this request will not be denied,» asserted Namazi, who has reproached the Obama Administration for having released two citizens in January 2016, while he remains in Evin prison after «seven years and two presidents.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
