Biden to Sign Executive Order to Bolster Effort to Bring American Hostages Home, Officials Say

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Tuesday giving the government new tools to bring American hostages home and hold those involved in their wrongful detention responsible, senior administration officials told reporters.

"We are proud to announce that tomorrow President Biden will be signing a new executive order that will provide new and expanded tools to help bring our citizens home and impose costs on the culprits as well as provide greater transparency regarding the risks," one of the officials said. "The new executive order is entitled 'Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained US Nationals Home.' It reaffirms the fundamental commitment of the president of the administration to bring on those Americans held hostage wrongfully detained abroad."

The executive order aims to boost the government's support for the families of American nationals wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad, including by directing parts of the federal government to expand their engagement with them by sharing relevant information on the status of those detained and Washington's efforts to secure their return, according to the officials. The new executive order authorizes departments and agencies to impose costs and consequences on those who are involved, including financial sanctions and visa bans, the officials added.

The new executive order authorizes departments and agencies to impose costs and consequences on those who are involved, including financial sanctions and visa bans, the officials added.

Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Burma and North Korea will be designated as nations with elevated risk of wrongful detention by the State Department, the officials also said.

The new "D" indicator on the State Department’s travel advisories are intended to warn Americans of the risk they face traveling to designated countries and dissuade travel there, the officials said.

Experts across the US government have been working on the executive order for a considerable length of time in order to ensure that the order is set and ready to be brought to Biden’s desk, the officials added.

Biden will continue to track cases of US hostages at the highest levels, including through direct engagement with National Security Council and State Department leadership, according to the officials.