Congressional Hostage Task Force Co-Chairs Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Rep. French Hill (R-AR) Celebrate the Release of Four American Hostages Wrongfully Detained in Russia
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens (D-MI) and French Hill (R-AR) commend the release of Americans Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Evan Gershkovich, along with U.S. green card holder, Vladimir Kara-Murza and look forward to welcoming them home.
“Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir, welcome home! For too long, each of you was held as a political pawn, with your liberty stripped away.” said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). “You have each lost so much, but we are looking forward to helping you rebuild your lives. Thank you to President Biden and our allies who made this remarkable exchange possible.”
“I am overjoyed that Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir are coming home,” said Rep. French Hill (R-AR). “After being wrongfully detained by Russia for far too long, our fellow Americans are going to reunite with their families and loved ones. Putin has a pattern of wrongfully detaining Americans, and this cannot continue. Russia must be held accountable, and the U.S. must do more to stop this trend that you can take and wrongfully hold an American with impunity. As Co-Chairs of the Hostage Task Force in the House, we remain committed to being a voice for Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world.”
Whelan, a security executive from Novi, MI, and constituent of Rep. Stevens, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on false charges of espionage. He has been detained for more than 2,000 days.
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist was arrested on false charges of espionage and also sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was detained in March 2023 and sentenced on July 16, 2024. He was detained for more than a year.
Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, was detained in October 2023 while in Russia to deal with a family emergency and then sentenced to five years in prison on false charges.
Kara-Murza, a Russian citizen and American green card holder, is an activist, dissident, and columnist sentenced to 25 years in prison on politically motivated charges. He won a Pulitzer Prize for columns written while he was imprisoned that were published in the Washington Post.
As co-chairs of the Congressional Hostage Task Force, Reps. Stevens and Hill have worked with hostage families, advocates, and the Biden Administration to advocate for the release of the individuals released today as well as the release of all Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
Their legislation, the U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day Act and Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act, was signed into law as part of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
The U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day Act proclaimed March 9th as an annual observance of Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day and the adoption of a purpose-designed flag to be flown in hostages honor on that day each year.
The Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act provides families of wrongfully detained Americans with travel cost assistance, such as airfare and hotels, in order to help them travel to Washington to advocate on behalf of their loved one.
Additionally, the Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act includes a provision that encourages the federal government to provide physical health and mental health resources that may be used by the released individual and their family members. This provision is aimed at ensuring we are prepared to offer the support needed upon their return and recognize the journey they face as they readjust to civilian life.
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