Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine turned journalist, was abducted in Syria in August 2012 while reporting on the civil war. He was captured at a checkpoint near Damascus as he attempted to leave for Lebanon. Weeks later, a video surfaced showing him blindfolded and in distress, but no group claimed responsibility. U.S. officials have long suspected the Assad regime's involvement.
Tice's disappearance occurred during a volatile period in Syria's civil war, marked by widespread violence and the targeting of journalists. Despite years of advocacy by his family and U.S. efforts, his whereabouts remain unknown. Recent regime changes in Syria have renewed hope, with access to intelligence files and prisons potentially offering clues
Marc Fogel, an American teacher, was arrested in Russia in August 2021 for carrying 17 grams of medical marijuana, prescribed for chronic back pain. Detained at a Moscow airport, he was later sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony in June 2022. His case drew comparisons to other high-profile detentions, such as WNBA star Brittney Griner, but Fogel was initially excluded from prisoner swaps.
In February 2025, after over three years in detention, Fogel was released following negotiations led by U.S. officials. His family had long advocated for his release, criticizing delays in designating him as "wrongfully detained."
Mark Swidan, a Texas businessman, was arrested in China in November 2012 on allegations of involvement in an international drug trafficking operation. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2019, with a two-year reprieve. Swidan endured over a decade in harsh detention conditions, reportedly facing torture, severe health issues, and psychological distress.
His case drew widespread international condemnation, with the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declaring his imprisonment a violation of international law. In late 2024, Swidan was released as part of a diplomatic agreement, marking the end of his 12-year ordeal. His release was celebrated as a victory for human rights.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested in Russia in December 2018 on espionage charges, which he and the U.S. government have consistently denied. In 2020, he was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian labor camp, sparking international criticism over the lack of evidence and fairness in his trial. Whelan's case became a focal point in U.S.-Russia relations, with multiple prisoner swaps excluding him, leaving him feeling abandoned.
On August 1, 2024, Whelan was finally released as part of a historic U.S.-Russia prisoner swap involving over 20 individuals.
Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while reporting on the Ukraine war's economic impact. Accused of espionage, he was detained in Moscow's Lefortovo prison and later sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony in July 2024. His arrest marked the first detention of a U.S. journalist in Russia since the Cold War.
The U.S. government classified his detention as wrongful, with President Biden and international organizations advocating for his release. In August 2024, Gershkovich was freed in a historic multilateral prisoner swap involving 26 individuals, including fellow American detainees Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in Kazan, Russia, in October 2023. She was accused of failing to register as a "foreign agent" and later charged with "spreading false information" about Russia's military. Despite her dual U.S.-Russian citizenship, she faced harsh prison conditions and was sentenced to six and a half years in July 2024 after a secret trial.
Kurmasheva had traveled to Russia earlier in 2023 to care for her ailing mother but was prevented from leaving the country. Her detention was widely condemned as unjust, with advocates highlighting her work as a journalist. On August 1, 2024, Kurmasheva was released as part of the historic U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange that saw more than 20 other Americans released as well.
Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent, disappeared on Iran's Kish Island in 2007 while reportedly working on a CIA contract. His case remains unresolved, with Iran denying involvement despite evidence suggesting he was detained by Iranian authorities.
Levinson's family endured years of uncertainty, with the U.S. government eventually concluding he likely died in captivity due to his age, health, and the lack of communication since his disappearance. They have unfortunately not been able to recover his remains or hold a funeral, leaving them without closure.
James Foley, an American journalist, was kidnapped by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day in 2012 while covering the Syrian civil war. After nearly two years in captivity, he was publicly executed by ISIS in August 2014, an act that shocked the world and highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones.
Foley's murder became a symbol of the brutality of ISIS and the risks journalists take to report from dangerous regions. His family, led by his mother Diane Foley, has since become advocates for hostages and journalists, founding the James Foley Foundation to improve U.S. hostage policies and support families of detainees.
Brittney Griner, a WNBA star, was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport for carrying vape cartridges, a substance illegal in Russia, and was sentenced to nine years in prison, a case that coincided with heightened U.S.-Russia tensions due to the Ukraine invasion. Griner spent nearly 10 months in detention, including time in a penal colony under harsh conditions.
Griner's release came on December 8, 2022, through a high-profile prisoner exchange. The U.S. traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner, a move that sparked both relief and controversy. Griner has since returned to basketball and shared the experience in a memoir.
Michael White, a U.S. Navy veteran, was detained in Iran in 2018 while visiting a woman he had met online. Accused of espionage and insulting Iran's "Supreme Leader", he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. White endured harsh conditions, including alleged abuse, and contracted COVID-19 during his imprisonment. His detention was pretty blatantly politically motivated.
In June 2020, White was released as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. freed an Iranian-American doctor, Majid Taheri, in return. White has since shared his experiences, highlighting the abuses he faced and the psychological toll of his 20-month detention.
Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine, was detained in Russia in 2019 while visiting his Russian girlfriend. He was accused of endangering the lives of police officers during a fight and sentenced to nine years in prison, charges he and his family denied as politically motivated. Reed endured nearly three years in harsh conditions, with significant concerns about his health, including exposure to tuberculosis.
In April 2022, Reed was released in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. exchanged Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted of drug smuggling, for Reed.
Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old humanitarian aid worker from Arizona, was kidnapped by ISIS in August 2013 while working in Aleppo, Syria. She was held hostage for 18 months, during which she endured severe abuse, including being assaulted by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ISIS demanded a ransom for her release, but negotiations failed. In February 2015, ISIS claimed she was killed in a Jordanian airstrike, but many doubt that claim.
Her parents have understandably criticized the U.S. government's handling of her case, particularly the lack of negotiation efforts. The 2019 military operation that finally killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named Operation Kayla Mueller in her honor.
Zack Shahin, a former CEO of Dubai-based real estate firm Deyaar, has been imprisoned in the UAE since 2008. Arrested on charges of fraud and embezzlement, Shahin was sentenced to 47 years in prison.
His family and advocates claim the charges are politically motivated and that he was made a scapegoat in a local corruption scandal. Despite audits finding no evidence of financial wrongdoing, Shahin has endured harsh conditions, including alleged torture and severe health issues.
Paul Rusesabagina, known for his role in saving lives during the Rwandan genocide, was kidnapped by Rwandan authorities in 2020. He was lured onto a private plane under false pretenses and taken to Rwanda, where he was arrested. A vocal critic of President Paul Kagame, Rusesabagina was accused of supporting terrorism through his association with the opposition group MRCD-FLN, which had claimed responsibility for attacks in Rwanda.
In 2021, he was convicted in a trial criticized for due process violations and political interference and sentenced to 25 years. The U.S. government and human rights organizations condemned the trial as unfair. In March 2023, his sentence was commuted after international pressure and a pardon request. Rusesabagina was released and returned to the U.S.
Xiyue Wang, a Princeton University doctoral student, was detained in Iran in 2016 while conducting research for his studies in Eurasian history. Accused of espionage, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Wang has stated that Iranian authorities explicitly told him he was being held as leverage for a deal with the U.S., making him a political hostage.
He spent over three years in Evin Prison under harsh conditions before being released in December 2019 as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran. The exchange involved Wang and an Iranian scientist, Massoud Soleimani, who had been detained in the U.S. for violating trade sanctions. Wang later criticized Princeton University for its handling of his case, filing a lawsuit alleging negligence in encouraging his travel to Iran and failing to adequately support him during his imprisonment. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2023.
Matthew Heath, a former U.S. Marine, was detained in Venezuela in September 2020. He was accused of terrorism and weapons charges, which the U.S. State Department deemed "specious." Heath was considered wrongfully detained, with his family and advocates asserting that he was being used as a political bargaining chip by the Venezuelan government.
In October 2022, Heath was released as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Venezuela. The exchange also included six other Americans and two Venezuelans convicted of drug smuggling in the U.S. This marked a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the two nations.
Amanda Knox, an American student, was accused of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. Alongside her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, and Rudy Guede, Knox faced a highly publicized trial. The prosecution relied on questionable forensic evidence, including DNA on a knife and bra clasp, which was later criticized for contamination.
In 2009, Knox and Sollecito were convicted, receiving 26 and 25-year sentences, respectively, while Guede was tried separately and convicted. However, in 2011, an appeals court acquitted Knox and Sollecito, citing insufficient evidence and flawed forensic work. The legal saga continued with a retrial in 2014, where their convictions were reinstated, but Italy's Supreme Court definitively acquitted them in 2015, citing "stunning flaws" in the investigation.
