U.S.-Iranian dual citizen Siamak Namazi, who has been held captive in Iran since 2015, pleaded with President Joe Biden to get him released in a new interview.
Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour by phone from Iran’s Evin prison, Namazi, the country’s longest-held U.S. detainee, said he was willing to take the risk of speaking to the network to directly communicate the reality he is facing.
“I remain deeply worried that the White House just doesn’t appreciate how dire our situation has become,” Namazi said.
Namazi addressed Biden directly during the interview, saying he was hurt that the president had not met with his family despite being in office for over two years.
“I implore you, sir, to put the lives and liberty of innocent Americans above all the politics involved and to just do what’s necessary to end this nightmare and bring us home,” Namazi said.
He described agreeing to the CNN interview as a “desperate measure.”
