The number of Americans who are wrongfully held by state actors such as China, Iran and Russia has seen a dramatic increase compared to a decade ago, according to a new study.
Brittney Griner waits for the verdict during a hearing outside Moscow on Aug. 4. The WNBA star is one of more than five dozen Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, according to the James. W. Foley Legacy Foundation.
And with an average of 11 new U.S. nationals being detained each year — and the number of releases unable to keep pace with the number of new captives — the challenge facing U.S. negotiators is only building. From 2001 to 2011, roughly five U.S. nationals on average were being wrongfully held each year, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans who are held hostage or wrongfully detained. Since 2012, that number has grown to an average of about 34 per year.
The majority of incidents involve nations where the U.S. has extensive sanctions in place: Iran, China, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria and Russia. Taken together, they account for nearly two-thirds of all wrongful detention cases.Diane Foley speaks to reporters following the sentencing of El Shafee Elsheikh in Alexandria, Va., on Aug. 19. Elsheikh, 34, a member of the notorious ISIS kidnap-and-murder cell known as the"Beatles," was sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of four U.S.
"These detentions are often grueling," the study notes, characterized by"torture, poor conditions, and abuse." In some cases, U.S. nationals have either died in captivity or were executed by their captors.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
These Are the Top 10 Large Airports in North America —See Where New York's Infamous La Guardia RanksJ.D. Power’s 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study measured ranked large airports in North American based on six factors in order of important.
Read more »
Opinion | The College Board’s Racial PanderingFrom WSJopinion: The best way to address the AP program’s achievement gap would be to direct help at struggling students. Instead, the program has decided to lower its standards, writes jasonrileywsj.
Read more »
Analysis | A new way to visualize America’s surge in partisan hostilityData from the American National Election Studies shows how the left-right divide widened.
Read more »
Kids With Head Lice Shouldn't Be Sent Home From School, New Guidance SaysNew guidelines released from the American Academy of Pediatrics say children with head lice should still be allowed to go to school.
Read more »
How to Be Positive Without Being Toxically PositiveThere is often a fine line between helpful and potentially hurtful comments on social media. Here are 5 suggestions that can help you avoid toxic positivity online.
Read more »
Assessing social aid: the scale-up process needs evidence, tooWhen programmes expand, new complexities and indirect consequences must be studied.
Read more »