Suozzi Sends Letter to Secretary of State Rubio on Iran's Unjust Detention of Great Neck Resident

The Honorable Marco Rubio

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

Dear Secretary Rubio,

I write regarding the case of my constituent, Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old resident of Great Neck, New York, who has been unjustly detained in Iran. Mr. Hekmati, a dual American-Iranian citizen, was sentenced to prison during a visit to Iran earlier this year to see family, a trip he has made on multiple occasions without issue. His alleged crime was attending his son's bar mitzvah in Israel 13 years ago.

This case has deeply alarmed my constituents, particularly within the large Persian Jewish community on Long Island, and among his colleagues in the government of the Village of Great Neck Estates where he serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Hekmati is a respected and active member of our community and is currently battling aggressive bladder cancer. The Iranian regime should release him immediately on humanitarian grounds.

Mr. Hekmati's detention also highlights the Iranian regime's ongoing pattern of malign behavior and raises serious concerns about the safety of other Americans in the region.

Accordingly, I respectfully request:

1.The Department of State urgently work toward the release of Mr. Hekmati

2. An update, in a classified setting, on the Department's diplomatic efforts to secure Mr. Hekmati's release; and

3. An assessment of the broader threat to Americans in the region posed by the Iranian regime.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and for your ongoing work to bring wrongfully detained Americans home. Please keep me informed of any developments in this case.

Sincerely,

Thomas R. Suozzi

Member of Congress