"The one thing they want we've just guaranteed we're doing," he told CNN. A State Department spokesperson told CNN that "Frerichs has spent over a year in captivity" and they "will not stop working until (they) secure his safe return home." The State Department spokesperson told CNN that Blinken "has made clear that Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage are not an afterthought and their safety and recovery are part of any policy discussions." It is our job to be transparent with the families, especially when our policies are making headlines," the spokesperson said. "Typically considerations around hostages are not the first things that are on the negotiating table," he told CNN Friday.

Source: CNN April 17, 2021 13:34 UTC