As Russia returns wrongfully held hostages in a prisoner swap, a former hostage-taker warns their work is only just beginning.
Three US citizens and one US green card holder who had been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia were released from Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday. The four were Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Ars Kurmaseva and Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian In his opinion piece, Rezaian argued that the US must do more to help the “reintegration” of former hostages. He was held captive by the Iranian government for 544 days between 2014 and 2016 and subjected to psychological torture, and wrote about the difficulties he faced after returning to the US.
“Having been cut off from society for months, or even years, the returning hostages will face difficulties reintegrating into normal life,” he warned. “When they returned from Iran in 2016 after nearly a year and a half of incarceration, they found themselves facing thousands of dollars in penalties from the IRS for not filing tax returns on time, on top of the usual penalties.”
TOP SHOT – Former prisoners released from Russia, American journalist Evan Gershkovich (10th from left), former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan (9th from left) and American-Russian journalist Arus Kurmasheva (8th from left), pose behind a banner reading “Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained Home” after arriving at Joint Base San Antonio Kelly Field, Texas, on Aug. 2, 2024. ((Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP) (Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images))
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He further noted that all of this was exacerbated by his still-disturbed mental state from his time incarcerated.
“I was getting less than three hours of sleep each night and waking up repeatedly with nightmares about being back in prison. I was distracted and unable to concentrate during the day, so I neglected to sit down and deal with my problems,” he wrote.
In addition, his foreign-born wife’s immigration papers had expired, forcing the couple to start from scratch and severely affecting his credit rating.
Those returning from Russia may not be facing exactly the same challenges, but they may be facing similar or even greater challenges.
On Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, a plane carrying journalists Evan Gershkovich, Ars Kurmaseva and Paul Whelan, who were released as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senatar)
Russia releases former Marine Paul Whelan in prisoner swap
“The U.S. government can do more to assist the reintegration of returning hostages,” he argued. “First, it can send focal points to help ease the burdens that have built up, from renewing expired driver’s licenses and accessing health care to dealing with unpaid taxes and financial debts.”
He praised some politicians for being part of the solution, saying, “The ‘Suspend Tax Penalties for American Hostages Act’, introduced by Senators Chris Coons (Delaware) and Mike Rounds (Lausanne) in May, was passed unanimously by the Senate. The House should approve the bill without delay.”
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“As a free society, we owe the victims of this abuse more than just support and sympathy,” he wrote. “Substantial resources have been spent negotiating their release. It is now critical that more resources are put into helping them return to normal lives.”
Fox News’ Nicholas Lanham, Timothy Nerozzi, Greg Wehner, Louis Casiano and Scott MacDonald contributed to this report.
