Ryan Fayhee Speaks with NPR, Reuters, CNN and HuffPost on Pro Bono Efforts on Behalf of Wrongfully Detained Iranian-American Journalist
Contact:
Akin national security & global investigations partner Ryan Fayhee spoke with NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CNN, Reuters and HuffPost about his pro bono efforts on behalf of Reza Valizadeh, a 49-year-old Iranian-American journalist who has been wrongfully detained in Iran since September 2024 and is currently held in Tehran's Evin Prison.
Speaking with NPR, Ryan emphasized that the team is “doing everything we can here in Washington, D.C.” to try to get Reza released, noting that “the good news is that the U.S. government has really evolved the so-called hostage enterprise between the State Department, the White House, [and] stakeholders on Capitol Hill.”
In comments to Reuters, Ryan underscored the broader risks, cautioning that “any American is potentially at risk” due to “the regime's history of seeking to leverage Americans for political aims.”
Drawing on his deep experience as a former DOJ national security prosecutor, Ryan is a leading voice on hostage diplomacy and the protection of American citizens overseas. His previous pro bono efforts helped secure the release of multiple wrongfully detained U.S. nationals, including Ryan Corbett, who was unlawfully detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban; Paul Whelan, who was wrongfully detained in Russia; Paul Rusesabagina, who was wrongfully detained by the Rwandan government; and 13 Texas-based evangelical missionary organization members, who were wrongfully detained in Nicaragua.
