Aspen Ideas Festival live updates: Inspiring leaders talk about advocacy work

Rezaian said that it’s important to support detainees and families even after they are released, nothing that they can still face a variety of challenges, including issues like back taxes.

“When I came back, and I watched others who came back with me, struggle with things like the IRS and credit scores,” he said. “You’re just not equipped to deal with it.”

Rezaian added they he ended up paying $6,000 in back taxes, even after working extensively on the issue with Carstens.

Gilbert said earlier she hopes the Center for Strategic and International Studies commission can help resolve problems like back taxes for those wrongfully detailed.

In response to an audience question about releasing Griner in exchange for a Russian arms dealer, Carstens said the decision is up to the president but the government did a national security analysis to determine the national security risks in releasing him.

He also said the top priority for his office is bringing Americans home.

“I want Brittney Griner back in this country because she has a blue passport and if you have a blue passport, we’re coming to get you,” he said.

Carstens encouraged people to go online to look at travel.state.gov for advice on traveling in foreign countries. He said there are growing efforts around prevention and deterrence of wrongful detention.

“I think in the coming year or two, we’re going to try to build out some protocols and programs that will actually address that but right now, it’s an area of weakness,” he said.

Carstens added that it will take coordinating with allies and focus on using a variety of tools — from diplomatic and economic to military power.

“If in 15 years, we can show the people that do this, that the price of doing so is too high for them to do it, then that’s going to be a victory for us,” he said.

Rezaian, recounting his release, said there was a combination or relief and sadness knowing that he and his wife would never be able to return to Iran.

He also said that his release almost didn’t happen — and that there were even bigger issues in the mix.

“Apparently, the whole thing almost fell apart,” he said. “And when I say the whole thing, I don’t just mean me and other Americans coming home. The entire JCPOA nuclear deal almost didn’t happen.” 

In response to Llamas asking how we can support the family of Paul Whelan, Carstens says he has weekly calls with the family of Paul Whelan — sometimes more often — and then the government is committed to bringing him home.

“I don’t have another job. I do one thing: this,” he said. “And I have the full support of the secretary [of state], the president to get it done.”

Gilbert said that there are organizations that focus on supporting the families of detainees, including one that she is working on with Rezaian — a commission at the Center for Strategic and International Studies to develop tools, policies and strategies to address wrongful detentions.

Rezaian said he had almost no information from the outside world while detained, but that high-profile and organized calls for the release of detainees can make a difference.

Rezaian said a guard told him that Muhammad Ali had called for Rezaian’s release, and that Ali’s position in the Muslim world made a difference.

He said it’s good to see people being more vocal about U.S. detainees.

“One of the things that I think has happened, especially after my case, is people kind of becoming more bold in their advocacy more quickly,” Rezaian said.

Gilbert, speaking to a question from Llamas about how politics plays into hostage diplomacy, said there are complicated domestic politics that related to different hostages.

She said that the American public is very supportive of hostage recovery, but that they are also aware of the circumstances of how a hostage was captured — meaning that there can be controversy if a hostage is perceived as doing something to deserve detention.

Gilbert pointed to Bo Bergdahl, who was captured but the Taliban and held for five years after he walked off his base in Afghanistan.

“We’re Americans. We value our liberty. We value our freedom. We have freedom of press that reports on these stories,” Gilbert said. “All of that pushes in the direction of putting pressure on the administration. And at the same time, it opens up the ability for there to be a big debate about whether or not it’s worth it to make concessions to bring someone home who was doing something risky at the time of their capture.”

Rezaian said that he often talks to families of journalists and other people who are held hostage, noting that he sometimes sets aside his role as journalist to offer advice, guidance and support.

He added that he usually encourages pushback on narratives released by foreign governments related to U.S. prisoners.

Carstens said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken encourages the families of U.S. prisoners to do what they feel is best. “He’ll tell them, ’do what you feel you need to do,’” Carstens said.

He added that the State department works around what a detainee’s family wants to do.