New mural in Montrose dedicated to Americans wrongfully detained in foreign prisons
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new mural unveiled in Houston on July Fourth is dedicated to hostages and wrongful detainees.
It's located on an exterior wall at the Light Bulbs Unlimited building in the 1200 block of Westheimer Road in Montrose.
The mural depicts 15 Americans who are either held hostage or wrongfully detained in foreign prisons. Seven of the 15 are from Texas, and three of those men are from Houston.
"Bring our American hostages home. Bring them now," Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said at a press conference unveiling the mural on Tuesday.
"This is but one of the many means by which the 'Bring Our Families Home Campaign' will accentuate the identities of loved ones separated, coupled with the need to have their immediate return effectuated. I am exceedingly proud to continue to stand with my constituents, Marc and Debra Tice, the parents of detainee Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria since 2012," said Congressman Al Green.
The "Bring Our Families Home Campaign" urges President Joe Biden to meet with the families and secure release of their loved ones using all available tools.
According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are 59 publicly-known cases of Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad.
The following 15 Americans are represented on the new mural:
- Paul Whelan, resident of Michigan, wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018
- Kai Li, resident of New York, wrongfully detained in China since 2016
- Emad Shargi, resident of Washington, D.C., wrongfully detained in Iran since 2018
- Morad Tahbaz, resident of Connecticut, wrongfully detained in Iran since 2018
- David Lin, resident of California, wrongfully detained in China since 2006
- Luke Denman, resident of Houston, Texas, wrongfully detained in Venezuela since 2020
- Jerrel Kenemore, resident of Texas, wrongfully detained in Venezuela since 2022
- Mark Swidan, resident of Texas, wrongfully detained in China since 2012
- Austin Tice, resident of Houston, Texas, wrongfully detained in Syria since 2012
- Zack Shahin, resident of Houston, Texas, wrongfully detained in the United Arab Emirates since 2008
- Airan Berry, resident of Texas, wrongfully detained in Venezuela since 2020
- Majd Kamalmaz, resident of Texas, wrongfully detained in Syria since 2017
- Shahab Dalili, resident of Virginia, wrongfully detained in Iran since 2016
- Siamak Namazi, resident of Maryland, wrongfully detained in since Iran since 2015
- Eyvin Hernandez, resident of California, wrongfully detained in Venezuela since 2022
"President Biden and his administration have repeatedly promised our families that the release of our loved ones is a top priority. It does not feel that way to us. Collectively, our loved ones, represented on this wall, have spent 103 years perishing in foreign prisons for no reason other than being American," Emad Shargi's sister said at the press conference.
Jackson Lee thanked the public and politicians for fighting for Trevor Reed, Brittney Griner, and the Citgo 6, all of which have been released from imprisonment abroad.
"Their coming home does not end our fight, but it does give us encouragement that if they can come home, everybody else must come home," Jackson Lee said.
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