“Hostage diplomacy” is a growing dilemma for Western countries
When Sylvie Arnault learned that her son Louis was arrested in Iran in September last year, she felt a feeling of disbelief followed by a feeling of helplessness and injustice, just like dozens of citizens of Western countries who are languishing in Chinese, Iranian, Russian and Venezuelan prisons, and whose release has become a diplomatic dilemma. .
“We don’t know how long it will take, we don’t know what the Iranians are waiting for and we will probably never know,” Sylvie Arnault told Agence France-Presse. Prisoners like Louie are often accused of spying or conspiring against the state. But they maintain their innocence of these charges.
Their countries denounce “arbitrary” arrests used for exchange. France even uses the phrase “state hostages.” Sylvie Arnault recounts: “At first, I refused to think that it was a matter of politics, but time passed without anything happening.”
The release of these prisoners has become a diplomatic dilemma that may take years to resolve and involve major concessions.
On Monday, the United States released 5 Iranians who were imprisoned, most of them on charges related to violating the sanctions applied to Iran, and released $6 billion in Iranian funds that were frozen in South Korea and were transferred to Qatar on behalf of Iran, in exchange for the release of 5 Americans who were detained. In Evin Prison, they left (today) Iranian territory on a flight to Qatar.
At the end of May, Belgian Olivier Vandecastel was released after being imprisoned for 15 months in Iran in exchange for the release of Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was sentenced in Belgium in 2021 to 20 years in prison after being convicted of “terrorist assassination attempts.”
In October 2022, 7 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela were released in exchange for two people close to President Nicolas Maduro.
American citizens Siamak Namazi and Murad Tahbaz are welcomed upon their arrival at Doha International Airport in Qatar on September 18, 2023 (AFP)
“Mock trial”
These concessions raise many criticisms. Etienne Denia, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences Po in Paris, author of a book on hostages, says: “The government’s dilemma is classic. “By releasing assets, they are in some way rewarding a crime, and encouraging countries to continue hostage diplomacy.”
He adds that the criticism is “justified,” especially since Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing target people according to their nationalities, “unlike armed groups that do not know in advance the identity of the person they are detaining.”
Darren Nair, a consultant specializing in security affairs and an activist in the field of hostage release, stresses that the number of known cases of “state hostages” has increased “in recent years.”
He points out that “the majority of Americans who were detained abroad 10 years ago were being held by non-state agencies in countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Somalia.” Today, most of them are detained by the authorities of Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and China.
American basketball player Brittney Greiner remained detained for several months in Russia for possessing an electronic cigarette containing cannabis liquid. She was released at the end of 2022 in exchange for the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was imprisoned in the United States.
As for the American journalist working for the Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, he has been detained in Moscow since March, while former US Navy SEAL Paul Whelan has been serving a 16-year prison sentence since 2020.
“In general, the only way to return a hostage to her home is negotiation,” says Joel Simon, founder of the Journalism Protection Initiative. He added: “Without dialogue with the hostage takers, whether government agencies or otherwise, the hostage will most likely be killed or languish in detention or prison for a long period.”
Etienne Denia confirms that the governments’ mission is complex, especially in cases of “state hostages,” because “the process is more twisted” compared to hostages held by terrorist groups. He explains that the Russians, Iranians and Chinese are adopting the “legal path,” organizing “sham trials” and “detaining them in actual prisons.” Negotiations are taking place behind the scenes.
He adds: “This is an essential point because ambiguity always benefits countries that carry out arrests,” especially if the matter concerns journalists or researchers who collect information or work in the security field. He continues, saying: “This does not naturally make them spies, but it is sufficient reason to take action in the eyes of authoritarian regimes.”
“Top of the Pyramid”
Blandine Briere never doubted the innocence of her brother, one of two Frenchmen released last May.
“We are ordinary people,” she told Agence France-Presse, noting that she discovered the phrase “state hostage” after the arrest of her brother Benjamin Breyer in May 2020. Disclosing these arrests complicates the task of the negotiators.
Blandine Briere explains that families always proceed with “extreme caution,” and are aware that their public support may delay or accelerate the release of detainees. It often adheres to government recommendations, but questions the “actual stakes.”
Darren Nair believes that “hostage diplomacy” cannot be deterred unless sanctions are imposed “on those responsible at the top of the pyramid.”
He asserts that in countries that resort to these practices, “power is concentrated at the top.” Imposing sanctions on a judge or a mid-level employee will not have sufficient impact.”
#Blinken #calls #managing #tensions #Beijing #responsibly
2023-09-19 13:09:55
