We applaud the efforts of
@POTUS
's administration in making David Lin's release possible and urge them to build on the momentum to
@FreeKaiLi
and
@freemarkswidan
.
And let's not forget about Andre, Shahab, and Zack wrongfully detained in Russia, Iran, and the UAE.
#BringThemHome
Perfectly said,
@SenTedCruz
.
Using all tools at the administration's disposal is what brought home so many Americans in 2022. We need the same for the remaining Americans wrongfully detained
#BringThemHome
- with real urgency and immediacy.
@POTUS
@SecBlinken
@JakeSullivan46
I am about to head to the Senate floor to deliver a speech calling for Release of Texan Mark Swidan, who is wrongfully detained in China. Watch the speech here:
The
@BOFHcampaign
stands with Brittney Griner and the
@PhoenixMercury
. What happened today is unacceptable and especially when targeted towards a former hostage and wrongful detainee. We must
#BringThemHome
and stand with them.
#WeAreBG
A year ago, Joey Reed, father of
@freetrevorreed
, called for the release of Paul Whelan, Luke Denman, and Airan Berry on Veterans' Day.
Today, all of those American veterans remain wrongfully detained. We echo Joey and call upon
@POTUS
to
#BringThemHome
this Veterans' Day.
Brittney Griner and the
@WNBA
never cease to amaze us.
We are so grateful for your continued support, enabling us to keep up the momentum and advocacy to
#BringThemHome
.
Congratulations on a well-deserved
@WNBA
community service award,
@brittneygriner
!
Welcome home,
@freepaulwhelan
.
We are thrilled that Paul is home and our campaign membership can decrease further.
But we will not let Andre Khachatoorian be forgotten.
Andre and 6 Americans held in other countries --- detained an average of 12 years --- will have to endure
Thank you
@brittneygriner
,
@PhoenixMercury
, and artist Antoinette Cauley for this painted mural featuring our loved ones.
It came out stunningly.
@POTUS
, we fight on day in and day out for our loved ones. We could use your help.
#BringThemHome
We are overjoyed to hear that all five of our Venezuela constituents are coming home.
Welcome home, Jerrel, Luke, Airan, Eyvin, and Joseph.
Thank you
@POTUS
for making this possible. We remind you that 9 of us need you to keep it up to
#BringThemHome
before it's too late.
Today is Christmas Day.
For these 15 Americans and their families, the holidays mark yet another year of suffering, separation, and deprivation.
They are all putting their faith in
@POTUS
to
#BringThemHome
In London,
@TahbazTara
, daughter of Morad Tahbaz, wrongfully detained in Iran, met recently with
@FreeNazanin
.
All of the advocacy inspired by the
#FreeNazanin
team has been instrumental in spreading awareness of our loved ones to
#BringThemHome
.
Thank you for all that you do.
Paul Rusesabagina sheltered thousands during the Rwandan Civil War and got the US Presidential Medal of Honor in 2005.
In 2020, he was kidnapped by Rwandan authorities as a political target.
Sign this petition to learn more and
@freethehero
:
@POTUS
As we celebrated the release of Jeff Woodke yesterday, another one of our campaign members, Jerrel Kenemore, spent his second birthday wrongfully detained.
Still much work to be done. Our loved ones cannot and should not have to wait years and years.
@POTUS
:
#FinishTheJob
Today is
@freepaulwhelan
's FIFTH birthday behind bars.
Write Paul a birthday letter here:
American Citizen Services/PNW
Consular Section
5430 Moscow Place
Department of State
Washington, DC 20521-5430
@POTUS
, don't leave Paul behind again.
#FinishTheJob
#BringThemHome
This Father's Day, please take a moment to listen to the pleas of some of the children in our campaign missing their dads.
@POTUS
, we hope you see this, meet with them, and
#BringThemHome
.
Thank you
@PhoenixMercury
for continuing to highlight our loved ones' stories.
We are not just words on a page. Our loved ones are real people deteriorating mentally and physically, as Aida highlights so beautifully and tragically.
@Zackbackhome
#BringThemHome
𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐧 | 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞
We want to tell you the stories of Americans wrongfully detained abroad through the words of their family members. That begins with Zach Shahin, who has been held captive in Dubai for 15 years. This is his
Thank you
@trevorrowdyreed
for your courage and selflessness in sharing your story. It gave our families much needed hope and strength to see you fighting for our loved ones to come home too.
Please see our statement in
@politico
(
@jonfranks
):
The campaign families that are in DC are continuing the
#bringthemhome
conversation today in front of the White House. Will we get a meeting scheduled with
@POTUS
?
"We need our own government to get its ducks in a row...before my dad has to suffer even more"
A week before
@SecBlinken
travels to Beijing, Harrison Li, son of
@FreeKaiLi
, asks
@POTUS
to use all tools to free all Americans wrongfully detained in China.
#BringThemHome
"Please,
@POTUS
, I beg you to meet with us and use every tool at your disposal to bring our loved ones home...Every day we wait is another day their lives are at stake"
- Tara Tahbaz, daughter of Morad Tahbaz wrongfully held in Iran since 2018
@FreeMorad1
#BringThemHome
Another Thanksgiving without our loved ones.
We are sick and tired of hearing words of sympathy without any legitimate action from
@POTUS
, who continues to ignore us.
Don't let our loved ones decay in real life like they are on our mural.
#BringThemHome
Deeply maddening to see the following from the
@washingtonpost
:
"The best deterrent would be for the United States and other nations to refuse to negotiate for the release of such hostages"
These editors completely disregard the humanity of our loved ones by failing to consider
Today, Paul Rusesabagina celebrates a birthday with family instead of behind bars.
We are so grateful for all the work that the team to
@freethehero
have and continue to put in to support our campaign so that our loved ones can do the same.
@POTUS
,
#BringThemHome
Today the families released a letter to
@POTUS
asking that he meet with the campaign steering committee. Bringing our families home is an urgent issue and meeting with families is long overdue.
Join us on May 2 and May 3 in DC on the one year anniversary of our campaign, as recently released hostages and detainees join our families to urge
@POTUS
to finish the job and
#BringThemHome
.
All are welcome. Help us spread the word!
"Having a loved one held hostage is hard enough without having to also campaign for your attention"
@POTUS
, we've formally invited you to our campaign events next week:
Vigil: May 2, 7pm
Rally: May 3, 11am
Will you finally meet with us?
#BringThemHome
Happy to formalize
@jonfranks
as the spokesperson for the BOFH family-led campaign to help us in our mission to meet with
@POTUS
and bring our families home
Mark Frerichs has been released!
We are overjoyed at this news and commend the Administration for having the moral courage to bring our fellow American home.
Time to clear the decks and
#bringthemhome
.
See our statement below.
Today's the day!
Come join our vigil TONIGHT at 7:00pm at 3125 M Street NW, Georgetown, in front of our campaign mural.
All are welcome, including
@POTUS
. See you there.
#BringThemHome
"The very fact that I've chosen to take this risk and appear on
@CNN
from Evin prison, it should just tell you how dire my situation has become"
First a hunger strike, now risking personal safety to speak out on national media.
@POTUS
, what more does
@sianamazi
need to do for
In an unprecedented move, US citizen Siamak Namazi speaks out from inside Evin Prison to plead for his release, along with two other Americans. Namazi has been imprisoned in Iran for over 7 years and asks “President Biden to finally… hear our cry.”
“This is a desperate measure”
Thanks to all who attended, reported on our event, and contributed to making it a huge success. It boosted our spirits.
We hope
@POTUS
is willing to meet with our families soon and
#bringthemhome
Photo credit:
@kennygiarla
"Seeing all these other families fight so so hard...is a constant reminder of our strength when we come together. It really helps me to wring out every ounce of grit and determination that remains."
-
@HarrisonLi15
, son of
@FreeKaiLi
, on the campaign to
#BringThemHome
@POTUS
Our campaign is overjoyed that
#BrittneyGriner
has been freed but remind
@POTUS
that
@freepaulwhelan
and 12 other families in our campaign have been left behind, many for years and decades.
When will they come home?
RIP, Majd.
"He will be missed tremendously, yet we hope that his legacy of helping others in need lives on and is carried out by many" -
@MKamalmaz
Majd's untimely passing serves as a solemn reminder of the American lives at stake when the government fails to take quick and
Life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness - 3 of our country’s unalienable rights…
unless you are an American being held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.
This 4th of July - please urge the USG to use all the tools on the table to
#bringthemhome
We would like to take a moment to thank
@FoleyDi
and
@JamesFoleyFund
for supporting us in every aspect of this cause. Your dedication & care knows no bounds. We know you are with us until all of our loved ones are safely home. ❤️ 🇺🇸
Photo credit:
@kennygiarla
One year ago today, Jerrel Kenemore was wrongfully detained in Venezuela.
In October, Jerrel was left behind when
@POTUS
negotiated the release of 7 Americans from Venezuela.
According to
@JamesFoleyFund
avg. length of wrongful detention is increasing.
@POTUS
, you can buck
There are 13 Americans on this wall who remain in wrongful captivity.
@POTUS
, what will you do to make sure they can see their faces before they are taken by the elements?
#BringThemHome
"My husband...received an award from the
@UN
for his humanitarian work in Niger...I certainly hope that he has not been forgotten by his government"
- Els Woodke reminding
@POTUS
and admin about her husband, Jeff Woodke, hostage in west Africa since 2016
#BringThemHome
This International Women's Day, we honor the strong women who have led the charge to
#BringThemHome
,
including our former campaign chair, Alexandra
@azforseth
, our current chair Neda
@NedaSharghi
,
and all the families, friends, and advocates in our campaign, including
@TheWNBPA
.
Never before released footage by
@WayneAbbott
capturing the moment former hostage Jose Pereira
@pereirajap3
met the parents of Luke Denman, left behind in Venezuela when Jose was freed.
By coincidence, Luke called in from prison during the filming.
@POTUS
:
#FreeLukeandAiran
Thank you
@JacksonLeeTX18
for attending our mural unveiling in Houston this morning and for your unrelenting calls to
@POTUS
and others to
#BringThemHome
. Grateful for your support
Today, for the Fourth of July, we stand with the families of those wrongfully detained abroad. We must ramp up our calls for their freedom and recommit ourselves to the work ahead to secure their release.
Today, Luke Denman spends his third birthday wrongfully imprisoned in Venezuela.
He was left behind with Airan Berry, Eyvin Hernandez, and Jerrel Kenemore last October.
@POTUS
, we need you to
#BringThemHome
so these innocent Americans don't miss another bday w/ friends + family
With yesterday's earthquake, we worry about the American citizens taken hostage or wrongfully detained in Syria, including
@FreeMajdK
and
@FreeAustinTice
.
Unlike many other families, their whereabouts have been unknown for many years.
@POTUS
, you can fix this!
#BringThemHome
6 DAYS - since request for mtg with
@POTUS
w/ NO RESPONSE.
The hash marks on this flag represent the shared experience of our families at home and our loved ones wrongfully detained abroad. Every. single. day. we are kept apart is devastating - for most of us - it’s been YEARS.
Happening right now!
Our campaign is braving the brutal Texas heat to start putting up our Houston mural. Come join us and say hi at 1203 Westheimer Road!
@freepaulwhelan
,
@FreeKaiLi
, and
#FreeEmad
are looking good...but these photos are from years ago.
After years of
“Governor Richardson has been a fierce advocate for human rights and the effort to bring home people unjustly held overseas”
We’ve lost a hero in the fight to
#BringThemHome
. Someone who fought for us tirelessly and often behind the scenes. RIP Governor
Since we did not get a response when we wrote to
@POTUS
six months ago...
Yesterday we delivered another letter to
@JakeSullivan46
asking to meet with all families and use all "necessary tools to bring the rest of our loved ones home, before it's too late"
#BringThemHome
Finally, Paul is back on US soil. A testament to the tireless advocacy of his family. Congratulations to you all!
Grateful for the
#FreeRusesabagina
team's enormous contributions to our campaign to help
#BringThemHome
Today is a big day - Brittney Griner & Paul Whelan's families, both in our campaign, are meeting with
@POTUS
. We hope this is the beginning of many, long overdue mtgs with other families by country.
Good luck
@elizabethwhelan
&
#weareBG
! We stand with you!
#BRINGTHEMHOME
Three more homecomings for our campaign with the freeing of Morad, Emad, and Siamak. It's good progress and needs to be celebrated.
At the same time,
@Shahab_Dalili
is the latest American to be left behind arbitrarily while others come home.
To address that,
@POTUS
should
We need RESULTS. Taking years and months to get innocent Americans home has been normalized but it is not NORMAL - it is directly related to how much the USG is willing to prioritize this issue. These are living breathing human beings.
#bringthemhome
The
@PhoenixMercury
and Brittney Griner are teaming with the Bring Our Families Home organization to bring attention to the current 54 American hostages and wrongful detainees. The BOFH logo will be on Mercury’s home court, replacing BG42 logo previously there. …
Follow the inspiring journey of
@JorgeToledo1775
and
@MickeyBergman
as they prepare to run the Marine Corps Marathon.
Use
#RunwithJorge
to help them raise awareness of our loved ones and support our campaign to
#BringThemHome
. Stay tuned to our socials for exclusive content.
"While you have all this stress and anxiety and pain, you only think about how much worse it is for my mother and father who are actually living this travesty"
- Tara Tahbaz on the wrongful detention of her parents in Iran for over 5 years
#BringThemHome
"We are begging you (
@POTUS
) to please meet with us, to please listen to our stories, and also bring our loved ones home...I hope you give us this Christmas present"
- Bahareh Sharghi, wife of Emad Sharghi wrongfully detained in Iran
#FreeEMAD
#bringEMADhome
#BringThemHome
Last night, the
@PhoenixMercury
held a moment of silence for the late Gov. Richardson who risked so much to help reunite many of our families.
Without the leadership of the Governor and his namesake
@RichardsonCNTR
, our campaign would not be what it is today.
#BringThemHome
This Thanksgiving, remember that the following members of the
@BOFHcampaign
are spending another year separated from their loved ones simply for being American:
@POTUS
, we count on you to use all tools to
#BringThemHome
.
It's heartbreaking to see so many "anniversaries" of our loved one's being taken hostage from us. We should be celebrating birthdays, graduations, wedding anniversaries....anything but how long the USG has failed to get them home.
#BRINGTHEMHOME
Thank you
@isaiahrmartin
for seeing our Houston mural and supporting our campaign.
You said it perfectly:
"Each and every one of us can be a part of the difference that ultimately leads to each and every one of [our loved ones] coming home."
#BringThemHome
It's been 15 months since our first mural in DC. Most of those faces are not on the Denver mural, a sign of progress.
But that's small comfort to those of us who have waited so long, wondering when it's our turn.
@POTUS
, as the years pass, we need you more than ever.
A message to
@POTUS
from Harrison Li, son of
@FreeKaiLi
wrongfully detained in China over 6 years:
"I'm here to urge you to use every possible tool and channel to bring home my dad along with all the Americans being wrongfully held in China and around the world"
Darian, son of
@Shahab_Dalili
, makes a direct appeal to
@POTUS
and
@SecBlinken
to remember his dad:
"The biggest fear for me would be...if somehow the US government and the Iranian government come to an agreement, and my father is left behind."
#FreeDalili
#BringThemHome
Fantastic to see
@POTUS
leaning so forward on communicating substantively with American hostages.
We wish he would do the same for our loved ones. We've all asked for a meeting for years.
President Biden will meet virtually today with families of American hostages believed being held by Hamas militants. The president told 60 Minutes, “This is not human behavior. It's pure barbarism. And we're going to do everything in our power to get them home.”
Horrific, though sadly not unexpected, that
@FreePaulWhelan
was attacked in prison camp.
We hope this reminds
@POTUS
of why he needs to free Paul and
#BringThemHome
before it's too late.
Not after serious injury, illness, or death. Then it'll be too late.
Paul Whelan, the American businessman who the U.S. considers to be wrongfully detained by Russia, was attacked Tuesday by a fellow prisoner at the labor camp where he is serving a 16-year sentence, according to his family.
We wished the flag to be raised to celebrate Majd’s return home; unfortunately, the flag will be raised to honor a fallen hero.
@POTUS
, you can make sure the next time this flag is flown, it's to celebrate the return home of an American hostage or wrongful detainee.
Another deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Has
@POTUS
even inquired about the health and safety of the Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained in Syria, including Majd Kamalmaz (
@FreeMajdK
) and Austin Tice (
@FreeAustinTice
)?
Even better,
#BringThemHome
!
@SecBlinken
"[Luke Denman and Airan Berry] have been there for three years now, waiting for some action from the US government...that's what this is about...getting the US government,
@StateDept
,
@POTUS
more engaged in the process"
- Mark Denman on his brother + our campaign
#BringThemHome
"Right now, all that [my dad] is, is a pawn in a game that's not his to play. So please,
@POTUS
, bring my dad home so that he is able to be my dad again."
-
@SharghiHannah
speaking about her dad, Emad Shargi, and how
@POTUS
hasn't met with her.
#BringThemHome
Thank you to
@ChrisCoons
,
@SenMarcoRubio
,
@RepFrenchHill
, and
@RepHaleyStevens
for re-introducing the U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Act of 2022 today, March 9, the proposed U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day.
Please see below for a statement. This legislation would not
🚨NEWS FLASH: Eyvin Hernandez has finally been freed from Venezuela & is currently a plane returning to US soil. His family has released a press statement regarding his freedom.
#bringeyvinhome
#bringthemhome
Congratulations,
@NedaSharghi
.
Thank you so much for your service to our campaign. So much of what we built would not have been possible without you.
We are forever grateful for your continued help and dedication to
#BringThemHome
.
Powerful message from former hostage
@soltan
at the
@JamesFoleyFund
dinner this evening - it takes a village to
#bringthemhome
and this is the work that this foundation enables for our loved ones - thank you!
@FoleyDi
Less than 8 months ago at our
@BOFHcampaign
launch in Lafayette Park (pictured below), we didn't dare dream that 8 of our loved ones - most recently
#WeAreBG
- would be home by year end. (1/2)
Dear
@POTUS
: This is why you must urgently free every American hostage and wrongful detainee.
We know it's incredibly challenging but you've shown us you can do it. It'll be worth it to save American lives.
Media must keep all cases in the spotlight, too
@CNN
@NBCNews
@CBS
@ABC
Mention my son..no natl news has approached me. I see Marks face next to you here. There is a harsh winter coming and no heat for him.
#FreeMarkSwidan
He writes that he is about to become a martyr..
Remember: Many Americans left behind in the same countries from where
@POTUS
brought Americans home in 2022.
Eyvin Hernandez, Luke Denman, Airan Berry, and Jerrel Kenemore wrongfully detained in Venezuela.
Paul Whelan unjustly held in Russian labor camp.
#BringThemHome
Happy hostage week all!
This week, many of our families are traveling from across the country and world to DC to join their voices and amplify the call to
#BringThemHome
.
As we come to his doorstep, we hope
@POTUS
will meet all of us either at our Tues. vigil or Wed. rally.
Announcing: The
@BOFHcampaign
is now live on
@instagram
!!
Please RT, share, and ask all your friends and family to broaden our reach to help
#bringthemhome
.
Don't worry, we're still staying on Twitter!
"[My parents'] mental state is dwindling...our brother's state is dwindling...you can see it on these people's faces, the sadness that we're going through.
@POTUS
, we need you to act!"
- Henry Martinez, brother of
@BringEyvinHome
, directly asking
@POTUS
to
#BringThemHome
Today,
@freemarkswidan
spends his ELEVENTH birthday wrongfully detained in China.
Mark has been sentenced to death on completely spurious drug charges, per
@UN
@POTUS
, what will you do to ensure Mark does not come home in a coffin? (1/2)
#BringThemHome
"And there are other Americans being unjustly held in Iran, Venezuela, China, and elsewhere. Their stories may not make headlines or hashtags, but every day — every day, their family looks at that empty chair at the kitchen table — birthdays, anniversaries, holidays without
Even as Airan Berry spends his 4th birthday today wrongfully detained in Venezuela without formal designation from
@StateDept
, his wife,
@MelanieIBerry
remains hopeful.
Seeing so many returned hostages join us to call upon
@POTUS
to
#BringThemHome
reminds us we are not alone.
Dear
@POTUS
: Have you seen us around town?
Two great chances to meet with us:
- Candlelight vigil tonight in Georgetown, 7 pm
- Rally and press conference tomorrow at your doorstep (Lafayette Park), 11 am
Stop ignoring us. Please meet with us.
#BringThemHome
Such an eloquent and gracious statement from Cherelle. We can't thank the
#WeAreBG
team enough incl.
@TheWNBPA
for their unwavering support in getting home wrongful detainees.
It’s been one year since
#WeAreBG
was wrongfully detained in Russia. She is home thanks to the work of
@POTUS
and his admin, showing it’s possible. We remind
@POTUS
that he has a lot more work to do to urgently use all tools to bring home all Americans left behind.
#BringThemHome
Jeffrey Woodke is a humanitarian who dug wells and started schools in Niger.
He's been taken hostage by jihadis in West Africa for over SIX years. In that time, his wife, Els, has not heard his voice even ONCE.
@POTUS
, it's un-American to leave Jeff behind.
#BringThemHome