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President Joe Biden signed a new executive order on Tuesday with the goal to increase the administration’s access to tools and resources to prevent hostage-taking and unjustified detention of American citizens; with the ultimate objective of bringing them back home. The order, otherwise known as “Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home,” will make it possible to impose financial penalties and visa bans on those responsible for hostage kidnapping.
“This executive order reflects the administration’s commitment not just to the issues generally but to the families in particular and it has been informed by the government’s regular engagements with them,” stated a representative of the Biden administration speaking on condition of anonymity in order to provide new information regarding the order.
The move comes to light as hostage and detainee families applied increasing pressure on Biden, most recently WNBA player Brittney Griner, who has been imprisoned in Russia since February and is currently on trial for drug offenses. The administration referred to Brittney Griner’s arrest as a major emergence that occurred as Kremlin was preparing for the war in Ukraine. She pled guilty to her accusations charges in a Russian court and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail if found guilty.
There is still hope though, a Senior Administration official stated, “Folks, the President is once again demonstrating his commitment to bring home U.S. nationals held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad. And we continue to work closely across the administration to realize this prioritized commitment.” Which demonstrates the administration’s diligent efforts to return Americans back home.
Some families, however, claim that this is ineffective, saying the administration prohibited them from asking questions during a video call, conducted on Monday, highlighting the action and that Washington lacks a clear plan for how to bring their loved ones back home.
A Senior Administration official stated that “the President, as he said in his public statement that day, was willing to take that very rare, very extraordinary, very hard step when it meant bringing home someone for whom there was a great urgency to see home and to see healthy as well.” In addition to ensuring hope for the future.
Written By Dylan Santoyo
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNBC: Biden to sign executive order aiming to deter taking of U.S. hostages, wrongful detentions
REUTERS: As pressure mounts, Biden acts to deter wrongful detentions of Americans abroad
CNN: White House unveils new executive order on US hostages and wrongful detainees
THE WHITE HOUSE: Background Press Call on President Biden’s New Executive Order to Bolster Efforts to Bring Home American Hostages and Wrongful Detainees
Images Courtesy of Gage Skidmore‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License