Left to Right: Pedro Pizano, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Ronald Oribio, George Glezmann, Marc Fogel
Watch the remarks HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2026) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) co-hosted an event honoring the third annual U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day in partnership with the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) at the U.S. Department of State, Hostage U.S., and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation. The annual event marks the day that former FBI agent Robert “Bob” Levinson, the longest-held American hostage, was taken in 2007 and never returned.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, SPEHA Adam Boehler, and FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia delivered remarks before the flag raising.
“We are here today… on the third U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, because families refused to let their loved ones be forgotten,” said Secretary Rubio. “The heart of this mission can be captured in one word: homecoming.”
“We have brought 175 people home—over 100 Americans, others are allies… and we’re not going to stop until all Americans are home,” said Boehler.
The commemoration also included a panel discussion, “Homecomings: Reflections on Return and Recovery,” featuring former hostages Marc Fogel (Russia), George Glezmann (Afghanistan), Ronald Oribio (Venezuela), and father of Israeli American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, to discuss life after detainment. The panel was moderated by the McCain Institute’s John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative (FPPI) Director Pedro Pizano. Opening remarks were delivered by Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States Dr. Sebastian Gorka.
“The raising of the flag is more than just a ceremony, it is a declaration of American resolve, strength and resilience,” said Gorka. “We do not abandon Americans, and we will not tolerate hostage diplomacy, period.”
“Today is both a somber day and a hopeful day,” said Pizano. “Each year on this date, we remember those who have come home, and those who have not. At the same time, today is a day of gratitude. When Americans come home, it reflects the fulfillment of the core promise of citizenship—that your government shall do everything in their power to bring you home.”
To mark U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, the U.S. Congress created the official U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag, the second only ever created after the POW/MIA flag. It flies over the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State on March 9 to remember the day Robert Levinson was taken, every time an American hostage or wrongful detainee perishes or is murdered in captivity, on Flag Day, Independence Day, and when an American Hostage or Wrongful Detainee comes home.
This commemoration comes one year after the McCain Institute launched the John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative to support individual detainees and their families through outreach to U.S. government officials, assistance from expert practitioners, and strategic communications to galvanize support for the release of prisoners, and seek avenues for justice, accountability, and deterrence.
Watch the recorded livestream HERE. Learn more about the McCain Institute’s Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative HERE.