Congressman asks Obama to use State of the Union to mention Americans jailed in Iran
Congressman asks Obama to use State of the Union to mention Americans jailed in Iran
A Michigan congressman whose constituent is one of five Americans imprisoned or missing in Iran urged President Obama on Thursday to mention the men in the State of the Union address next week. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) asked Obama to highlight efforts to secure the release of Amir Hekmati, an Iranian American from Flint, Mich., imprisoned in Iran for more than four years. “It is important that Amir and the other innocent Americans being held not be forgotten,” Kildee said. “They should be household names in America. We must say their names as often as we can. The State of the Union address would be an opportunity to articulate the importance of Iran releasing these innocent Americans. Doing so would be a tangible demonstration by Iran that it is serious about rejoining the global community.” Kildee has invited Hekmati’s sister, Sarah, to be his guest at the State of the Union address next week. Ali Rezaian, the brother of imprisoned Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, also has been invited to attend as the guest of Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who is Rezaian’s representative in Congress. Obama’s State of the Union address is scheduled for Tuesday. Each member of Congress is allowed to bring one guest to the speech. Seats have been reserved for them in the House Gallery. Kildee he said he hoped the presence of Sarah Hekmati at the speech will serve as a reminder that four Americans, all of Iranian descent or birth, are imprisoned in Iran. The two other Iranian Americans are Saeed Abedini, a pastor from Boise, Idaho, and Siamak Namazi, a businessman based in Dubai. A fifth American, Robert Levinson, is a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007. During diplomatic encounters to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and other issues, State Department officials say they have repeatedly asked the Iranians to free the U.S. citizens in their custody. “Amir Hekmati has been unjustly held in Iran for nearly 1,600 days,” said Kildee. “It is long past time for Iran to release him so he can be reunited with his family in Michigan. Having Sarah join me at the State of the Union will serve as an important reminder of Amir’s continued imprisonment and the pain their family continues to endure. We continue to press for his release and do everything we can to bring him home.”