Clinton calls on Iran to release American detainees
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton renewed her calls for Iran to release all US citizens it is detaining immediately in a statement Saturday.
In this statement Clinton pointed to five cases: the three American hikers who crossed into Iran from Iraq in late July; a US-Iranian scholar; and a private detective and former FBI agent who went missing in Iran in 2007.
She said, Washington “is deeply concerned about the welfare of our American citizens who have been detained or are missing in Iran.” continuing with, “We once again urge Iran’s leadership to quickly resolve all outstanding American citizen cases.”
The three American hikers — Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd — went missing on July 31 after setting out on a hike from Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, on the poorly marked border with Iran.
In wasn’t until Tuesday that Iran officially notified Washington about the arrest through Swiss channels, which represent US interests in Iran. But US officials say they still do not know where the hikers are being held.
“We once again call on the Iranian government to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention by granting consular access and releasing these three young Americans without further delay,” Clinton said.
She also brought up the case of American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh, “who has spent his career working to enhance mutual understanding between Iran and the United States.”
Clinton demanded Iranian authorities “immediately release Mr. Tajbakhsh from detention and allow him to depart Iran to continue his academic pursuits,” she said.
Tajbakhsh was put on trial two weeks ago with the near 100 Iranians on charges of rioting after the disputed re-election in June of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
And Clinton said Washington also continues to be “concerned about the case of Robert Levinson,” a former FBI agent who has been missing in Iran since March 2007.
She called on Iran “to assist in providing any information on his whereabouts and in ensuring his prompt return to the United States.”
The US goal “is to ensure the safe return of all our missing or unjustly detained American citizens to the United States as quickly as possible so that they can be reunited with their families,” Clinton said.