Iran denies death of former FBI agent in its prison

A spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations, Ali Reza Mir Yousefi, stressed that his country does not know the location of Bob Levinson, a former FBI officer, after his family asserted that he had died in a prison in Iran.

“Iran has always declared that its officials do not know where Mr. Levinson is and that he is not in detention in Tehran; these facts have not changed,” confirmed the Iranian official.

On March 9, 2007, Robert Levinson was abducted in Iran. For 13 years, the Iranian government has denied knowledge of his whereabouts or condition, a claim that defies credibility. We call on the Iranian regime to send Bob Levinson home to his family. pic.twitter.com/Xud7ldscaf

— Department of State (@StateDept) March 11, 2020

However, the family of the former FBI agent claim that he died in an Iranian prison. “We recently received information from US officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody. We don’t know when or how he died, only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” announced the family of the former officer in a statement on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump commented on the topic stating: “We do not accept the death announcement of former FBI agent Bob Levinson who was detained in Iran, though other parties have mentioned it.”

Levinson was imprisoned in Iran for nearly 13 years, for charges that the US authorities have described as “null and void”.

In the US, Levinson was described as a “hostage” who was held for the longest period of time in US history.

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