EX-FBI agent died in Iran custody, says family
WASHINGTON: A former FBI agent who mysteriously vanished in 2007 died in Iranian custody, his family concluded on Wednesday, saying US intelligence had made them give up 13 years of hope.
President Donald Trump did not confirm Bob Levinson’s death, saying that Iran had not communicated any news on the former agent, who would have turned 72 this month.
But Levinson’s family said that it had learned that he was dead, although it gave no information on how or when.
“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,” the family said in a statement.
“We don’t even know when, or even if, his body would be returned to us. This is the very definition of cruelty.” The family said Levinson died before the coronavirus pandemic.
Iran implicitly denied the claims, restating its longstanding position that he left the Islamic republic “years ago.”
“Based on credible evidence, (Levinson) left Iran years ago for an unknown destination,” foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a statement.
He added that Iran had done everything it could to trace what happened after he left but had found “no evidence of him being alive.”
Mousavi called on Washington to make an official announcement if Levinson’s death was confirmed, without “politicising and exploiting the family’s feelings.”
Iran’s chief press officer at the United Nations Alireza Miryousefi had said earlier that Tehran had “no knowledge” of Levinson’s whereabouts.
His family on Wednesday accused Tehran of “repeatedly lying to the world” about Levinson and renewed criticism of the initial US response.
Officials initially did not classify Levinson as a hostage and have consistently denied he worked for the government.
“Those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the US government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done,” the family said.