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list of civilians detained by foreign governments and groups
Feb 10, 2026 12:11 PM

  list of civilians detained by foreign governments and groups Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-civilians-detained-by-foreign-governments-and-groups Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-civilians-detained-by-foreign-governments-and-groups Written by Tracy Grant Tracy Grant is editor-in-chief of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Tracy Grant Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jun 24, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents They are often journalists, attempting to bring news from difficult places to the rest of the world. But sometimes they are athletes, or tourists, or aid workers. The phenomenon of governments detaining foreign nationals and using them to negotiate on the geopolitical stage continues to play out decades after one of the most infamous cases of such detentions—the holding of 52 Americans in Iran for 444 days from 1979 to 1981. Some of those held make the headlines. Some come home, often after years of confinement. Some never do. Here is an overview of some civilians who have been wrongly ...(100 of 1484 words)

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