Joe Biden Warns of Sanctions for Illegal Detention of Americans Abroad Amid Pressure From Families of Detainees

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that would impose sanctions and other measures regarding the illegal detention of Americans abroad.

Reuters reported that the executive order signed Tuesday aimed to deter and punish wrongful detention of U.S. citizens abroad. The move was announced amid rising pressure on Biden from families of hostages and detainees.

Some families said the executive order achieved little "in concrete terms," while criticizing the administration for not allowing them to ask questions during Monday's video call previewing the action. They noted that the administration still lacked a solid strategy to bring their loved ones home.

Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Brittney Griner has been held in Russia since February and is currently on trial on drug charges. Authorities in Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage.

Her case has shed light on the illegal detention of Americans abroad. Another prominent case of a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained abroad was former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed.

Reed was recently released through a prisoner swap with Russia amid sour relations between the two countries over the war in Ukraine.

Illegal Detention of Americans Abroad

The United States does not release an official figure for how many U.S. citizens are detained abroad. James W. Foley Legacy Foundation said more than 60 U.S. nationals are illegally held in about 18 countries. The foundation is named after an American journalist abducted and killed in Syria.

According to Daily Mail, a group of families of the detainees formed a coalition named "Bring Our Families Home Campaign" and has called on Joe Biden to become more personally involved in the cases.

Biden signed the order a day before the families come to Washington to unveil a mural for 18 Americans detained abroad. However, administration officials did not say whether or not Biden would meet with the families.

The White House said the executive order paves the way to impose costs on "terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial and political gains," among others.

Joe Biden was lauded for managing to bring Reed home. However, he recently received criticism on the case of Griner.

Joe Biden on WNBA Star Brittney Griner

The Biden administration said Brittney Griner's case is still a priority, Aljazeera reported. Top officials also said they believe the WNBA player and two-time Olympic gold medalist is being wrongfully held in Russia.

Joe Biden described in a statement to Congress on signing the executive order that the illegal detention of U.S. citizens was "heinous acts that undermine the rule of law."

He added that it constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the country's national security, economy, and foreign policy.

Griner's drug possession charge in Russia carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence. She has appealed directly to the president to bring her back home to the U.S.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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