Click HERE to watch the panels.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2026) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University’s (ASU) John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative (FPPI) and the Office of Senator Peter Welch, the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, 30 October Foundation, and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, convened the U.S.–U.K. Transatlantic Conference on Hostage-Taking and Arbitrary Detention at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together U.S. and U.K. lawmakers, former political prisoners and hostages, family advocates, and civil society representatives to deepen transatlantic coordination and advance a forward-looking policy agenda on arbitrary detention and hostage-taking.
The conference featured eight panels covering the global state of diplomatic and government responses, the role of faith communities, cross-border cooperation, deterrence and accountability, recovery, and international mechanisms. Participants included Senator Peter Welch, U.K. Member of Parliament and Chair of the Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Alicia Kearns, Maxime Woods-Gauthier of Global Affairs Canada, Sir William Browder of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, Vladimir Kara-Murza of the Free Russia Foundation, and Evgenia Kara-Murza of the 30 October Foundation. The keynote address was delivered by Special Presidential Envoy John Coale and moderated by McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas.
“This international, bipartisan group of advocates, legislators, administration officials, and families came together for one cause: bringing wrongfully detained individuals home,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. “Issues like wrongful detainment supersede partisanship. We were honored that Special Presidential Envoy John Coale, Senator Peter Welch, and all of our speakers joined the McCain Institute to discuss this crucial issue.”
“It has to be our obligation to stand side by side in solidarity with a person who makes a political decision and does a brave act and then becomes a prisoner of a very hostile, repressive regime, wherever that may be,” said Senator Peter Welch (D-VT).
“People in the United States should know what their government is willing to do to bring them back. If you have a blue passport and you’re taken, we’re coming to get you,” said FPPI Senior Distinguished Fellow Amb. Roger Carstens.
The convening featured advocates on behalf of each of the FPPI’s four named cases: Vida Mehrannia speaking for her husband Ahmadreza Djalali, Tamar Rukhadze for her sister Mzia Amaghlobeli, Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, legal advocate for Jimmy Lai and Mzia Amaghlobeli, and Evgenia Kara-Murza advocating on behalf of Alexei Gornov.
The event also featured statements from Grace Drexel Jin on behalf of her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, Chris Pagett on behalf of Ryan Cornelius, Joe Bennett on behalf of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, and Ryan Fayhee on behalf of Reza Valizadeh.
Former political prisoners and pro-democracy advocates, including McCain Global Leader Jesús Armas, who was detained in Venezuela, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was imprisoned in Russia, shared their firsthand experiences and perspectives throughout the day.
“Nineteen months ago, I was sitting in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Siberia, one of many hundreds of my fellow Russian citizens imprisoned for speaking out against Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship and against his war in Ukraine. I’ll be honest, I did not believe I was getting out of that prison alive,” said FPPI Board Chairman Vladimir Kara-Murza. “The worst nightmare for political prisoners is to be forgotten. I would often repeat this phrase, but I’m not sure I really understood how important it is until I had the experience myself.”
“I’m proud that we are not just honoring Senator McCain’s legacy; we are actualizing it, using our convening power to bring the right people into the room to drive real outcomes,” said FPPI Director Pedro Pizano. “We’ve done the hard work to bring four people home, and now we continue the fight for our four current cases. Until they are all free, our work isn’t finished.”
The conference concluded with a call to action for strengthened transatlantic cooperation, urging governments and civil society to maintain sustained pressure for the release of hostages, political prisoners, and state hostages alike. The speakers further urged policymakers and democracy proponents to fight for accountability and justice on behalf of those imprisoned and deter the continued use of this repressive practice.
FPPI remains committed to carrying forward Senator McCain’s legacy of standing up for those imprisoned for their courage in the face of tyranny. Watch the full event HERE. Learn more about the John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative HERE.