Sister of man held in Iran shines light on detained Americans

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Neda Sharghi, whose brother, Emad, has been held in Iran on espionage charges since 2018, joined PIX11 Morning News on Monday to shine a light on the cases of Americans wrongfully detained abroad.

Sharghi is part of a group working to bring greater awareness to the plight of Americans trapped overseas.

Though she said she appreciates the recent exposure brought by the case of the most famous American held abroad, WNBA star Brittney Griner, Sharghi voiced issue with the White House's response, or lack thereof, to her brother's case. While President Biden has taken steps to free the Russian-held Griner and been in touch with her loved ones, his administration has not met with Sharghi, she said.

"My question is, why can we not speak with the president?" said Sharghi. "Why can I not share my brother's case with him directly?"

Watch the full interview in the video player above.