2024 Findings
Substantial progress was made in securing the freedom of Americans held captive by foreign governments, but terrorist hostage-taking spiked.
46
American nationals known to be held captive unjustly in 16 countries; imprisoned on average just over 5 years
78%
Nearly 8 in 10 U.S. national captives are wrongfully detained by foreign governments
66%
of wrongful detainee releases have involved a prisoner exchange since 2023; despite this, there has been no subsequent increase in wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Iran or Venezuela
42%
decrease in the number of U.S. nationals in detention since peaking in 2022
5
American nationals held captive in Iran were negotiated for release by the U.S. Government in 2023; another remains imprisoned
12.5 years
Average number of years U.S. nationals have been wrongfully detained in China
9
U.S. nationals, on average each year from 2022 to 2024, have been detained and held in Russia – 4 times the average of the previous 14 years
Executive Summary
This report is divided into three sections. The first section, titled “U.S. National Hostage-Taking and Wrongful Detention Landscape, 2023-2024,” utilizes three datasets encompassing information on 437 U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad from January 1, 2001, to May 31, 2024. This section examines trends in hostage-takings and wrongful detentions over that period.
The second section, “Perspectives of the U.S. Government’s Hostage Enterprise by Former Hostages, Wrongful Detainees, and Family Members of those Held Captive,” builds upon the Foundation’s previous assessments of the effectiveness of the 2015 U.S. Hostage Policy Review and the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive 30, Executive Order 13698, Executive Order 14078, and the codification of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.
Finally, the third section, entitled “Deterring Hostage-Taking and Wrongfully Detaining Innocent Americans,” builds upon the interviews conducted for the second section of this report. Based on 62 confidential interviews conducted between December 2023 and May 2024, this report highlights 27 cases and Photo courtesy of Benjamin Gray Bringing Americans Home 2024 17represents the perspectives of U.S. hostages, wrongfully detainees, their family members, and other stakeholders involved in the U.S. hostage enterprise. While the interviews do not capture the perspectives of all individuals affected by hostage-taking and wrongful detention, they represent the viewpoints of the participants included in this study. This report aims to stimulate discussions that contribute to enhancing the U.S. government’s support for hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families.
A NOTE FROM our PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE SAFE RETURN OF OUR PEOPLE
Dear Readers,
On August 19, 2024, it will have been 10 years since our son, James W. Foley, an American freelance journalist, was abandoned by our government and publicly beheaded by ISIS, his murder used to fuel their hate-filled propaganda. Three other heroic Americans — journalist Steven Sotloff, aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller — were similarly abandoned, along with three British citizens.
Thankfully, their horrific murders awakened the moral compass of our nation. Over the last 10 years, our country has moved from abandonment of Americans unjustly held captive abroad to a U.S. hostage enterprise admired by other nations that has skillfully secured the release of more than 120 U.S. nationals since 2015. I am forever grateful to the many individuals of moral courage both inside and outside of government who knew we could do 4 Bringing Americans Home 2024 better and who have worked with the Foley Foundation to make these successes possible.
I am particularly indebted to David Bradley, who encouraged this much needed research on international hostage-taking, and to Cynthia Loertscher for her passionate dedication to conducting the Foley Foundation’s Bringing Americans Home research since 2018.
My deep gratitude to all who since 2014 have allowed Jim’s sacrifice to inspire our Nation to extraordinary progress and who accept, with humility, the need to continue to work together as government, civil society, private sector, and international partners to improve our nation’s ability to prioritize the return of American captives while deterring and preventing future hostage-taking. Sincerest gratitude and love,
Diane Foley
President & Founder
Download Reports
2024 Report
Bringing Americans Home
Bringing Americans Home: 2023
This report, conducted by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF), consists of two sections.. The first section, “U.S. National Wrongful Detention and Hostage-Taking Landscape, 2022-2023,” used two JWFLF datasets containing information on 422 U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad from January 1, 2001, through July 31, 2023, to discuss trends, releases, and detailed outcomes. The second section, “Wrongful Detainee and Hostage Perspectives,” was written by Matthew Heath and Jeffery Woodke, two former captives. Both perspectives provide ways to rethink U.S. strategy on wrongful detentions and hostage-takings. Their stories help to shed light on the toll of captivities and the importance of securing the freedom of all Americans.
Bringing Americans Home: 2022
From 2019–2021, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation published a yearly assessment of the efficacy of the 2015 U.S. Hostage Policy Review and the implementation of PPD-30 and EO 13698. This report, an extension of those assessments, continues to examine how the U.S. government creates and implements policy in support of U.S. nationals taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad as well as their families. Most importantly, this report seeks to better understand whether the new structures these policy changes have created help bring Americans home and offers nine recommendations to improve the government’s hostage enterprise.
Bringing Americans Home: 2021
This report, conducted by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF), is a continuation of JWFLF’s assessments of the efficacy of the 2015 U.S. Hostage Policy Review and the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive 30 and Executive Order 13698. This study seeks to convey the perspectives of U.S. hostages, unlawfully or wrongfully held detainees, their family members, representatives, advocates, former senior military officials, and current and former U.S. officials. It, however, does not represent the perspectives of all former hostages, detainees, and their families, but only presents the perspectives of those who participated in this study
Bringing Americans Home: 2020
This report, conducted by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF), is a continuation of JWFLF’s initial assessment of the efficacy of the 2015 U.S. Hostage Policy Review and the implementation of PPD-30 and EO 13698. This study was conducted from the perspective of American hostages, wrongfully held detainees, and their family members and representatives. It does not represent the perspective of all former hostages, detainees, and their families, but only presents the perspectives of those who participated in this study.
Bringing Americans Home: 2019
This assessment, conducted by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, (JWFLF) is the first non-governmental review of the efficacy of the 2015 U.S. Hostage Policy Review and the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive 30 (PPD-30) and Executive Order 13698 (EO 13698) concerning hostage recovery activities. This study was conducted from the perspective of former American hostages, family members of current and former U.S. hostages, and others detained unlawfully or wrongfully by a foreign government. This study does not represent the perspective of all former hostages, detainees, and their families, but only presents the perspectives of those who participated in this study.
