The family of Robert Levinson announced the death of the American citizen and retired FBI agent who disappeared in the Kish Island thirteen years ago on their Facebook page.
The family wrote in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 25th, 2020:
“Recently we received information from US officials that convinced both them and us that our beloved father died while in Iranian custody.”
A Levinson family statement said his death occurred before the outbreak of Coronavirus and the cause of death is still unclear. The family also said, “If it wasn’t for the brutal actions of the Iranian regime, Robert would now be with his family.”
The Levinson family’s statement emphasized that: “They kidnapped a foreign citizen and deprived him of the most basic human rights. They are responsible for the his death. “
The family also wrote: “We have been waiting for an answer for 13 years. Thirteen years have passed since the last time we saw him or had any contact with him. “
Mr. Levinson disappeared in the winter of 2007 after traveling to Kish Island. The US believes he was arrested and in Iran, but Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly said that they do not know his whereabouts or whereabouts.
“We are very sorry for his family, but I do not accept it,” said US President Donald Trump after announcing Mr. Levinson’s death at a White House news conference. “They [the Iranian government] have not told us that he is dead, but many people think so and I have a bad feeling about it. “
The Associated Press said in a report: The information about death of Robert Levinson was provided by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The Iranian delegation to the United Nations has denied any information.
The Levinson family insisted that they would spend the rest of their lives to get justice for death of Mr Levinson and would try to bring the Iranian authorities to trial.
The Levinson family have not received his body and have expressed regret that they may never be able to bury their loved one.
The family said they would not have any funeral services for Mr. Levinson, because of the outbreak of Coronavirus in the United States.
In November 2019, after 13 years of no news of former US federal police officer Robert Levinson, Islamic Republic officials announced in a formal letter to the UN that his case is bending.
At the same time, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, Mr Levinson’s lawyer in Iran, had told the radio Farda that “there was no crime to be pursued by the judicial authorities investigating the case.”
Therefore, according to Mr Aghasi, who also tweeted about the case last year, the stop of prosecution has been “issued” and in fact the case is closed, but he has objected to the verdict and is awaiting the outcome.
Jason Rezaian, himself accused of espionage in Iran and released under Barack Obama after the nuclear deal, on Friday, November 8th, 2019, reported in the Washington Post on the official Iranian newsletter to the United Nations.
The news of Iran’s official response to the UN question came less than a week after the US State Department awarded a $20 million prize for information about Robert Levinson.
Earlier, the US federal police had set a $5 million reward for providing information.
At the same time as the second prize, the Robert Levinson family insisted in a statement that the Islamic Republic should end its hostage policy.
Mr. Levinson’s family while noted the 40th anniversary of the US embassy occupation and the embassy’s diplomats had been imprisoned for 444 days, said that he has been hostage ten times more that is 4624 days.