List of American people imprisoned abroad

Last updated

This list represents a sample of American people imprisoned abroad by state and non-state actors, past and present. This list includes both citizens of the United States and legal permanent residents. It represents individuals imprisoned through various channels, including tried crimes and kidnappings. It does not include American prisoners of war or war-time kidnappings.

Contents

The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) Roger D. Carstens leads and coordinates activities across the Executive Branch to bring home Americans held hostage in other countries. Non-governmental organizations that advocate for the return of Americans imprisoned abroad include the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the James Foley Legacy Foundation, and the Bring Our Families Home Campaign.

Africa

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
Jeffrey Woodke14 October 201620 March 20232348Kidnapped for monetary ransom [1]
Paul Rusesabagina 31 August 202025 March 20231583Arrested on charges of terrorism, arson, kidnap and "murder perpetrated against unarmed, innocent Rwandan civilians on Rwandan territory".
Ryan Koher4 November 20225 October 2023788Arrested trying to fly supplies to orphanage in Northern Mozambique and was held without charges or bail. March 15, 2023 provisionally released but forbidden from leaving country. [2]
Marcel Malanga19 May 2024In detention226Involvement in the 2024 DRC coup attempt [3]
Tyler Thompson19 May 2024In detention226Involvement in the 2024 DRC coup attempt [4]
Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun19 May 2024In detention226Involvement in the 2024 DRC coup attempt [5]

Asia

Afghanistan

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
Mark Frerichs 31 January 202019 September 2022962Kidnapped by the Haqqani network
Ryan Corbett10 August 2022In detention874

China

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
Kai Li July 201827 November 2024~2341espionage [6]
Mark Swidan 13 November 201227 November 20244397Assisting the transportation and payment of technicians to manufacture methamphetamine [7]
David Lin200616 September 20245844contract fraud and sentenced to life in prison [8]

Iran

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Robert Levinson 9 March 2007Deceased while in detention [9]
Emad Shargi 30 November 202018 September 20231492Espionage/SpyingSentenced to 10 years in January 2021.
Had previously been cleared in December 2019
[10] [11]
Morad Tahbaz January 201818 September 2023~2556 [12]
Baquer Namazi 22 February 20165 October 20223235Espionage/Spying [13]
Siamak Namazi 13 October 201518 September 20233365 [14]
Shahab Dalili2016In detention~2922"Aiding and abetting" the U.S. [15]

North Korea

Russia

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
James Vincent Wilgus7 November 2016In detention2976indecent exposure [16]
Thomas Stwalley6 July 2018In detention2370intent to distribute marijuana [17]
Paul Whelan 28 December 2018 1 August 2024 2043espionage
Trevor Reed 16 August 201927 April 2022985violence against an officer [18]
Eugene Spector19 February 2020In detention1777bribery and espionage [19]
Marc Fogel 15 August 2021In detention1234marijuana possession [20] [21]
Sarah Krivanek15 December 2021 8 December 2022 358domestic dispute [22] [23]
Andre Khachatoorian27 December 2021In detention1100illegal possession of a firearm [24]
David Barnes13 January 2022In detention1083child abuse (custody dispute) [25]
Robert Gilman17 January 2022In detention1079assault of a police officer [26]
Brittney Griner 17 February 2022 8 December 2022 294possession of hashish oil
Evan Gershkovich 29 March 2023 1 August 2024 491espionage [27]
Michael Travis Leake6 June 2023In detention574intent to distribute drugs [28]
Alsu Kurmasheva 18 October 2023 1 August 2024 288failure to register as a foreign agent [29]
Yuri Malev8 December 2023In detention389rehabilitation of Nazism [30]
Robert Woodland5 January 2024In detention361intent to distribute drugs [31]
Ksenia Karelina 27 January 2024In detention339suspicion of treason [32]
Gordon Black2 May 2024In detention243theft and making threats [33]
Steven Hubbard2 April 2022In detention1004fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine [34]

Syria

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
Austin Tice 13 August 2012In detention4523
Majd Kamalmaz 15 February 2017Deceased while in detention
Travis Pete Timmerman5 June 2024 8 December 2024 186Illegal entry into country [35]

United Arab Emirates

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionUnited NationsRef.
Zack ShahinMarch 2008In detention~6149Accused of bribery and embezzlementDesignated arbitrarily detained per the United Nations Working Group ruling of March 2023 which ordered his immediate release, listed reparations to be paid by the United Arab Emirates government, Yemen government as well as Emirates Airlines to Zack Shahin, and repatriation back to the United States. The ruling found that Zack Shahin was a victim of kidnapping, failure of due process, faulty trials with no evidence, arbitrary detention, and much more. [36] [ dead link ] [37]

South America

Venezuela

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionRef.
Eyvin Hernandez 29 March 2022December 21 20231008Illegal Entry into the Country
Matthew John Heath September 2020October 1 2022~1582Terrorism and Arms Trafficking
Airan BerryMay 2020December 21 2023~1705Took part in a Beach landing to overthrow the government [38]
Luke DenmanMay 2020December 21 2023~1705Took part in a Beach landing to overthrow the government [38]
Gustavo Cárdenas21 November 2017March 9 20221569Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six
Tomeu Vadell21 November 2017October 1 20221775
Jorge Toledo21 November 2017October 1 20221775
Alirio Zambrano21 November 2017October 1 20221775
Jose Luis Zambrano21 November 2017October 1 20221775
Jose Angel Pereira21 November 2017October 1 20221775

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Turkmenistan</span>

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Haleh Esfandiari is an Iranian-American academic and former Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Her areas of expertise include Middle Eastern women's issues, contemporary Iranian intellectual currents and politics, and democratic developments in the Middle East. She was detained in solitary confinement at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran for more than 110 days from May 8 to August 21, 2007.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narges Mohammadi</span> Iranian human rights activist (born 1972)

Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist. She is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), headed by her fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shirin Ebadi. Mohammadi has been a vocal proponent of mass feminist civil disobedience against the hijab in Iran and a vocal critic of the hijab and chastity program of 2023. In May 2016, she was sentenced in Tehran to 16 years' imprisonment for establishing and running "a human rights movement that campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty." She was released in 2020 but sent back to prison in 2021, where she has since given reports of the abuse and solitary confinement of detained women.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizar Zakka</span> Lebanese national

Nizar Zakka is a Lebanese national who was arrested by Iran in 2015, and was imprisoned until 2019 on charges of espionage for the United States. Zakka worked as an Internet freedom advocate and served as secretary general of the Arab Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Organization (IJMA3) in Washington, D.C., and is a US permanent resident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xiyue Wang</span> Princeton University student detained by Iran

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