White House demands release of US prisoners in Iran or face ‘serious consequences’ – CNN

A statement released by the White House Friday said the Trump administration is "redoubling" its efforts to bring home Americans "unjustly detained" abroad.

The statement mentioned three Americans specifically by name: Robert Levinson and Siamak and Baquer Namazi. Levinson has been held captive in Iran for over 10 years and The Namazis were taken during the Obama administration, according to the statement.

"The United States condemns hostage takers and nations that continue to take hostages and detain our citizens without just cause or due process. For nearly forty years, Iran has used detentions and hostage taking as a tool of state policy, a practice that continues to this day with the recent sentencing of Xiyue Wang to ten years in prison," the statement read.

The statement urged that Iran is responsible for the care and well being of all US citizens it has in its custody. It added that Trump is willing to impose new consequence unless all "unjustly imprisoned' American citizens are released by Iran.

The State Department announced on Friday it will authorize a geographical travel on US nationals visiting the country because of "mounting concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention."

The decision follows the June release of US citizen Otto Warmbier, who was arrested last year while on a sightseeing tour to North Korea. After being held prisoner by North Korea for 17 months, Warmbier was handed over to the US in a vegetative state. He died a few days later in Ohio.

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White House demands release of US prisoners in Iran or face 'serious consequences' - CNN

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