The Global Liberty Alliance Podcast with Jason Poblete
News:News Commentary
On March 17, 2016, Ms. Nazanin Ratcliffe, a U.K. national, traveled to Iran with her newborn baby girl, Gabriella, to visit her family and celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian new year. Close to four years later, she remains a hostage in Iran. On this podcast, Jason talks with Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin's husband (and Gabriella's dad), who has tirelessly waged a four-year campaign to secure Nazanin's release from Iranian captivity. Iran arbitrarily detains foreign visitors to exact political and economic concessions.
For decades, visitors to Iran from close to twenty nations have been unlawfully imprisoned or held hostage by the Iranian regime. Nazanin is one of the scores of foreign nationals unlawfully imprisoned or held hostage by Iran. The exact number of current hostages held by is unknown. While hostage-taking is a centuries-old practice, the Iranian regime has perfected it as a foreign policy weapon. Some Iranian leaders even openly brag about its effectiveness.
In January 2020, the former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp. (IRGC) commander, and leader of the Yaghin think-tank, Hassan Abbasi, explained in a speech how the IRGC derives benefit from hostage-taking. Abbasi said Iran should “generate income" by capturing Americans and demanding a ransom for their return (video). Iran is not the only country that uses innocent people in this manner. In addition to Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, China, and other nations use hostage-taking as a foreign policy tool. In this podcast, Richard discusses his family's experience these past few years, and the lessons he has learned along the way, which he hopes will be of value to similarly-situated families.
For example, governments usually advise family members to stay quiet when a loved one is taken hostage and, in some cases, that is a good idea. It depends on many factors; however, in some cases, silence empowers hostage-takers and endangers the life of this hostage. The use of laws and legal systems to unlawfully imprison innocent people is a gross violation of fundamental rights. While a lot has been done to cope with this problem, a lot more needs to be done to secure and prevent hostage-taking by foreign nations. Political will is needed to help secure the release of hostages in Iran, and in other nations too. Richard and Jason also discuss the importance of deterrence measures such as holding the hostage-takers to account for what they done in courts of law, sanctions, or combination of these and other measures.
Further Reading
Divine Mercy Radio (WDMC-AM): Interview with Jason Poblete of GLA
[After Show] Venezuela, Cuba, and policymaking in Washington, DC with foreign policy expert Caleb McCarry
Venezuela, Cuba, and policymaking in Washington, DC with foreign policy expert Caleb McCarry
Freedom After Captivity: Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert's Journey
Podcast Preview: Freedom After Captivity: Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert's Journey
Case Update: Mark Swidan, American Political Prisoner in Communist China
Iran and Transnational Terror: The Matter of Jimmy Sharmahd from California
Unveiling Injustice: The Plight of Cuban Healthcare Professionals in Uruguay
Jason Poblete Discusses Iran policy with DC-based Iran expert, Alireza Nader
A Talk With former Iran Hostage, Marine Corps Sgt. Rodney "Rocky" Sickman
Beware of the Havana Tall Tales on Cuba's "Private Sector"
An Update from Liberty Warriors in Guatemala
The Great Purge in Nicaragua
An Update on the Fakhoury Family's Hostage Accountability Efforts
How the FBI Helped Nab the Notorious Spy some have called the "Queen of Cuba"
A Talk with Michela Wrong About International Criminal Justice and Human Rights
A Virginia Mom's Quest to Educate Fellow Americans About the Importance of Liberty and the CCP Threat
Pushing the Political Envelope in the Cuban-American Community, Talks with Cuba
A Family's Justice Journey - Holding Lebanon to Account for the Death of an American, Amer Fakhoury
A Political Re-Awakening in Paraguay: Defending Fundamental Rights of Children, Religious Freedom
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