HAW - Hostage Aid Worldwide

06/15/2026

HAW Daily Brief:

China Arrests US Citizen on Suspicion of Spying
https://hostageaid.org/china-arrests-us-citizen-on-suspicion-of-spying/
Washington D.C - NY Post
China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Friday the ‌arrest of Min Zin, a US citizen who leads a think-tank focused on Myanmar, saying the American was suspected of spying and endangering Chinese national security. Min Zin, executive director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP) — Myanmar, ​was detained after he flew into Kunming in southwest China, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

Detained in Syria, A German Journalist in Contact with Her Embassy
https://hostageaid.org/detained-in-syria-a-german-journalist-in-contact-with-her-embassy/
France - Fondation-Institut Kurde de Paris
German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann, detained in Syria, recently received visits in prison from the German embassy in Damascus, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. "Employees from the German Embassy in Damascus were able to visit recently" Ms. Michelmann, said a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry, during a regular press briefing of the German government in Berlin. She was unable to say why the journalist had been imprisoned and what charges had been brought against her.

Rights Activist Marks Four Years in Cambodian Jail
https://hostageaid.org/rights-activist-marks-four-years-in-cambodian-jail/
France - Union of Catholic Asian News
Dual Cambodian-American citizen, human rights activist and a Khmer editor of the Bible, Theary Seng has marked four years behind bars for treason amid calls for United States President Donald Trump to intervene and secure her release, amid concerns for her health. Her supporters said the anniversary came amid a significant thaw in US-Cambodia relations, marked by Phnom Penh’s inclusion in Trump’s Board of Peace, creating a rare opportunity for the president to press for her release and the release of all political prisoners in Cambodia.

Myanmar Detains US Businessman Who Wrote about Military Coup, Sources Say
https://hostageaid.org/myanmar-detains-us-businessman-who-wrote-about-military-coup-sources-say/
Washington D.C. - The Straits Times
Adam Castillo, a former head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar who is based in Yangon where he runs a security firm, was stopped at an airport after travelling to the country, one of the people said. A US State Department spokesperson said it was aware of reports of the detention of an American in Myanmar but had no further comment “due to privacy concerns”. Castillo had been abroad promoting his book, Finding Our Voice, about staying in Myanmar following the 2021 coup that threw the country into turmoil, according to social media posts.

China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Friday the ‌arrest of Min Zin, a US citizen who leads a think-tank focused on Myanmar, saying the American was suspected of spying and endangering Chinese national security.

06/15/2026

Four years ago, 🇺🇸 Theary Seng walked into court dressed as Lady Liberty.
She walked out in handcuffs.
4 years later, her case remains a powerful reminder that the struggle for freedom, democracy, & human rights can come at a profound personal cost.

Hostage Aid continues to urge President Donald J. Trump & Marco Rubio to prioritize Theary’s case, seek her release, & help bring her home.

The White House Senator Dick Durbin U.S. Department of State Freedom House U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh, Cambodia Samdech Hun Sen of Cambodia

06/15/2026

Today marks the 2nd freedom anniversary of 🇸🇪 Johan Floderus & Saeed Azizi, who were unlawfully detained in Iran since Apr. 17, 2022, & Nov. 12, 2023, respectively before their release on June 15, 2024.
Their freedom was a moment of immense relief & joy.

But this anniversary also serves as a painful reminder.
The same deal that brought Johan & Saeed home left Swedish-Iranian Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali behind.
After years of arbitrary detention, a death sentence, repeated threats of ex*****on, & the devastating toll of prolonged imprisonment, Ahmadreza remains separated from his wife and children.
His exclusion from the deal was not merely a missed opportunity, it was a failure the consequences of which he continues to endure every day.

Statements have been made. Promises have been offered. Expressions of concern have been repeated.
But Ahmadreza remains in prison; a gaunt shadow of the man who was taken over a decade ago.

Ulf Kristersson Maria Malmer Stenergard, when will Sweden make up for the golden opportunity missed?
For how many more years must Ahmadreza pay the price before Sweden mobilizes every diplomatic & political lever at its disposal to ?

Amnesty International Sverige Kaja Kallas Amnesty International België Vlaanderen European Parliament Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Research scientist threatened to death in Iran The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights The Edelstam Prize Göran Gustavsson

06/12/2026

Today marks the 2nd Freedom Anniversary of 🇫🇷 Louis Arnaud.

Louis was arbitrarily detained in Iran in September 2022 while traveling through the country & spent more than 20 months incarcerated before finally returning home on June 13, 2024.

We are grateful that Louis is free & reunited with his loved ones. But his case is a reminder that Iran continues to use innocent foreign nationals as bargaining chips.

As we celebrate Louis's freedom, we also remember those who remain wrongfully detained in Iran. The international community must do more to bring them home.



Freelouisarnaud

06/11/2026

The IRGC took 1,362 days of Nizar Zakka’s life, but they failed to take his voice.
7 years ago today, he walked free. Since then, he has used his freedom to advocate for other hostages waiting to come home.
His journey proves that a hostage can come home, rebuild, & transform suffering into a mission greater than himself.

On June 11, 2019, this hostage came home.
But his mission is not over yet!

Nizar Zakka

06/10/2026

HAW Daily Brief:

Tice Family Urges U.S. to Ask Iran About Austin Tice
https://hostageaid.org/tice-family-urges-u-s-to-ask-iran-about-austin-tice/
Washington D.C. - Voices Unbound
The following is a statement from the family of journalist Austin Tice regarding U.S. hostages in Iran. “Like many Americans we heard the President on Meet the Press this weekend discuss U.S. hostages in Iran. He would not commit to raising the issue of hostages in negotiations, saying there is no list — give me the names. There are names, and today we are asking to add the name of our son, journalist and Marine Austin Tice, to the list of hostages held by Iran. This list must also include Americans Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hecmati, who are declared wrongfully detained by the U.S. government.
Valizadeh, Hecmati, and Tice. It is a significant list. Free Austin Tice NOW Free Reza Valizadeh

Taliban Leader Who Took U.S. Journalist Hostage Sentenced to 42 Years
https://hostageaid.org/taliban-leader-who-took-u-s-journalist-hostage-sentenced-to-42-years/
Washington D.C. - NY Times
The Taliban commander who abducted an American journalist was sentenced to 42 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for terrorism. The commander, Haji Najibullah, said in his guilty plea last year that he had supported Taliban members who intended to kill U.S. troops and in 2008 had helped abduct David Rohde, then a reporter for The New York Times, as well as an Afghan journalist and driver accompanying him.

Libya: Release Humanitarian Activists Detained for Seeking to Deliver Aid to Gaza
https://hostageaid.org/libya-release-humanitarian-activists-detained-for-seeking-to-deliver-aid-to-gaza/
UK - Amnesty International
The Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) must ensure the immediate release of 10 members of the Global Sumud Land Convoy who have been arbitrarily detained for over two weeks in eastern Libya solely for attempting to deliver aid to Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing genocide, Amnesty International said today.
On 24 May 2026, an armed group affiliated with the self-proclaimed LAAF, the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya, arbitrarily arrested the 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries. The four men and six women were arrested while en route to Sirte to negotiate with local authorities the convoy’s passage.

Kuwait: Prosecution of Journalist Signals Troubling Crackdown on Expression, Warn UN Experts
https://hostageaid.org/kuwait-prosecution-of-journalist-signals-troubling-crackdown-on-expression-warn-un-experts/
Geneva - Office of The United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights
“The authorities appear to have violated Mr. Shihab-Eldin’s right to liberty and the prohibition on enforced disappearance,” the experts said. Shihab-Eldin was falsely charged with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing a mobile phone, after having reported on military activities relating to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Gulf States including Kuwait. He was acquitted on the first charge and convicted on the other two, with no punishment recorded. After being released on a pledge of “good conduct” for six months, he was stripped of his Kuwaiti citizenship.

Family of Long Island Jeweler Imprisoned in Iran Urgently Pleads with Trump for His Release: ‘Every Day Matters’
https://hostageaid.org/family-of-long-island-jeweler-imprisoned-in-iran-urgently-pleads-with-trump-for-his-release-every-day-matters/
Washington D.C. - NY Post
“Kamran (Hekmati) is not only an American citizen; he is a devoted father, husband, brother, and cousin. Today, he is also a cancer patient. He is battling bladder cancer without access to the medical care he urgently needs. Every day matters,” cousin Shohreh Nowfar, who acts as spokesperson for the Hekmati family, wrote in a letter obtained by The Post. “We urge you to act now to secure Kamran’s release. His family in Great Neck, New York is waiting for him. He deserves the chance to come home, receive treatment, and be reunited with those who love him.”

The following is a statement from the family of journalist Austin Tice regarding U.S. hostages in Iran.

06/10/2026