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Congressman Dan Kildee Introduces Bipartisan Congressional Resolution Calling for Release of Amir Hekmati, other American Political Prisoners in Iran

April 30, 2015

Hekmati Family, Kildee and Montel Williams in Washington, D.C. to Rally Support for Congressional Resolution, Call on Iran to Release Amir Hekmati

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) has introduced a bipartisan congressional resolution expressing the sense of Congress that Iran should immediately release American citizen and U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, along with the other Americans it holds as political prisoners. The bipartisan resolution was also cosponsored by other Members of Congress who also represent the families of Americans being held or missing in Iran, including Congressmen Jared Huffman (CA-02), Raul Labrador (ID-01) and Ted Deutch (FL-21). The congressional resolution reads, in part, "Iran should release all detained Americans immediately and provide any information it possesses regarding any Americans that have disappeared within its borders." "Iran cannot be taken seriously as a member of the global community if they continue to hold innocent Americans like Amir Hekmati as political prisoners," Congressman Kildee said. "Amir is an American citizen, born and raised in the U.S., who served his country honorably in the U.S. Marines. He is innocent yet has been unjustly held as a political prisoner by Iran for 1,340 days. This congressional resolution allows Congress to speak with one voice and say that Iran must release the innocent Americans it holds." Congressman Kildee will be joined on Capitol Hill Thursday by members of the Hekmati family and television personality Montel Williams to raise awareness about Amir's case and push for support among Members of Congress for the congressional resolution. While in Washington, D.C., they will be meeting with both lawmakers and White House officials. "For over three and a half years, our family has fought for Amir's voice to be heard, his basic human rights observed, and for his release from this arbitrary imprisonment. We thank Congressman Kildee for not only responding to our continuous pleas for help, but actively joining in the battle to bring our son and brother home," the Hekmati family said in a statement. "I am so grateful to Congressman Dan Kildee for his bipartisan leadership on behalf of Amir Hekmati. Amir represents the very best this country has to offer, and shame on all of us if we allow him to be left behind," Montel Williams said. In his latest efforts to free Hekmati, Congressman Kildee spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month to say that if Iran intends to rejoin the global community, it cannot hold Americans as political prisoners. In January, Congressman Kildee also left his guest seat empty at the State of the Union to draw attention to Amir's continued captivity.