In September, the United States freed five Americans who had been wrongfully detained in Iran. In exchange, the United States unfroze approximately 6 billion USD in Iranian oil revenue. While this instance of hostage diplomacy made headlines, many more Americans remain behind bars abroad, often accused of crimes they did not commit. It is not just an American problem. A small number of states are arresting and detaining foreign nationals in growing numbers in order to exert diplomatic leverage over their adversaries. Arbitrary detention violates human rights, undermines trust between nations, disrupts diplomatic relations, and erodes the rules that have underpinned the international system since World War II. Governments are increasingly seized with the urgency of ending this practice.
On February 13, 2024, the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Middle East Program, in collaboration with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Global Affairs Canada, and the Office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, hosted an event exploring the international security dynamics of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. The event, which marked the 3rd anniversary of the Canadian-sponsored Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations, featured keynote speeches from U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly. CSIS’ Jon Alterman moderated the first panel, which included Jennifer Daskal, Dani Gilbert, John Packer, and Rachel Briggs. The Wilson Center’s Merissa Khurma moderated the second panel, which included Jason Rezaian, Lara Symons, and Louise Blais.
