Strengthening Efforts To Protect U.S. Nationals From Wrongful Detention Abroad
Record date: 2025-09-10
( printed page 43895) Executive Order 14348 of September 5, 2025 Strengthening Efforts To Protect U.S. Nationals From Wrongful Detention Abroad By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq. ) (Levinson Act), it is hereby ordered: Section 1 . Purpose. The United States must strengthen efforts to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad. The United States Government is committed to using
What this record contains
- Federal Register document
- 2025-17509
- Publication date
- 2025-09-10
- Citation
- 90 FR 43895
- Issuing office
- Executive Office of the President
Official record excerpt
( printed page 43895) Executive Order 14348 of September 5, 2025 Strengthening Efforts To Protect U.S. Nationals From Wrongful Detention Abroad By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq. ) (Levinson Act), it is hereby ordered: Section 1 . Purpose. The United States must strengthen efforts to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad. The United States Government is committed to using every tool available to curb this coercive tactic used by foreign adversaries and must hold such adversaries to account. No American should fear being taken as a political pawn by rogue states. Wrongful detentions are an affront to the rule of law and aim to undermine our leadership on the world stage. The United States will not tolerate these attacks on our sovereignty and U.S. nationals. Sec. 2 . Designation. The Secretary of State may designate any foreign country the government of which directly engages in or provides support for the wrongful detention of a U.S. national as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention based on one or more of the following criteria: (a) the wrongful detention of a U.S. national occurs in the foreign country; (b) the government of the foreign country has failed to release a wrongfully detained U.S. national after having been notified by the United States that the detention has been determined wrongful by the Secretary of State; or (c) actions taken by the government of the foreign country indicate, based on the totality of the circumstances: (i) that the government is responsible for, complicit in, or materially supports the wrongful detention of a U.S. national; or (ii) a pattern in which the government is responsible for, complicit in, or materially supports the unjust or unlawful detention of third country nationals in which cases the United States has a national interest, using criteria similar to those used by the Department of State in wrongful detention determinations. Sec. 3 . Responses. Upon designation of a foreign country as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention under section 2 of this order, the Secretary of State shall review existing authorities to respond to and deter the actions of a government of a foreign country as outlined in section 2 of this order and take steps to implement the following actions, as appropriate and to the extent consistent with law, including the Levinson Act, including: (a) imposing sanctions available under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. ); (b) making designations under section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (division F of Public Law 118-47 ; 8 U.S.C. 1182 note ), as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (division A of Public Law 119-4 ), or similar provisions in subsequent acts; (c) applying inadmissibility available under the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. ) and, as appropriate, coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security on the enforcement thereof; ( printed page 43896) (d) imposing geographic travel restrictions prohibiting the use of a United States passport for travel to or through the designated country under 22 U.S.C. 211a , Executive Order 11295 of August 5, 1966 (Rules Governing the Granting, Issuing, and Verifying of United States Passports), and 22 CFR 51.63(a)(3) ; (e) restricting assistance provided to the government of the country under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq. ) or any other Federal law; and (f) restricting the export of certain goods to the country under the Arms Export Control Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq. ), the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 ( 50 U.S.C. 4801 et seq. ), or any other Federal law. Sec. 4 . Termination of Designation. The Secretary of State may terminate the designation of a foreign country under section 2 of this order based on: (a) a determination by the Secretary of State that the government of the foreign country: (i) has released the U.S. nationals wrongfully detained within the territory of the foreign country; (ii)
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