Board Chair, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation; son of American hero Robert Levinson
Joined July 2012
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David Levinson retweeted
A message from Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist wrongfully detained in Iran since 2024. So desperate for much needed healthcare, that he has chosen to dispatch his plea for help from the notorious Evin Prison. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @SebGorka @StateSPEHA @SteveWitkoff @SEPeaceMissions
David Levinson retweeted
Foley Foundation Board member @NedaSharghi shares her perspective on the nomination of John Coale to serve as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs:
thehill.com/opinion/internat…
#BringThemHome #HostageDiplomacy
David Levinson retweeted
Today, hundreds of runners, walkers, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and supporters will gather in Washington, DC and around the globe for the 12th Annual James W. Foley Freedom Run.
We run in honor of Jim and his unwavering dedication to truth and humanity.
Jim believed deeply in the power of human connection, even in the most challenging and dangerous circumstances. His life, courage, and legacy continue to inspire us to "Inspire Moral Courage, One Person at a Time."
Your support enables us to:
✅Support hostage and wrongful detainee families
✅Conduct critical research and advocacy
✅Engage the American people in our mission
✅Protect courageous journalists who risk their lives to bring truth to light
To our runners: thank you for showing up!
To our volunteers: thank you for making this event possible!
To our sponsors and donors: thank you for investing in our mission!
Give today at WWW.FOLEYRUN.ORG
#RememberJim #IRunForJim
David Levinson retweeted
Today, on Jim’s birthday, we remember his courage, compassion, and belief in the dignity of every person. His legacy continues to thrive through the families, individuals freed from captivity, advocates, journalists, partners, and supporters who carry this mission forward.
Next month, we will be sharing an important new chapter in that work – and an open invitation to our entire community to join us.
It started because of Jim. It continues because of you.
WWW.JAMESFOLEYFOUNDATION.ORG
David Levinson retweeted
Today, hundreds of runners, walkers, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and supporters will gather in Rochester, New Hampshire and around the globe for the 12th Annual James W. Foley Freedom Run. (Washington, DC Run is October 24!)
We run in honor of Jim and his unwavering commitment to truth.
Jim believed in the power of human connection, even in the face of extraordinary danger. His life and legacy continue to "Inspire Moral Courage, One Person at a Time."
Your support enables us to:
✅ Support hostage and wrongful detainee families
✅ Conduct critical research and advocacy
✅ Engage the American people in our mission
✅ Protect courageous journalists who risk their lives to bring truth to light
To our runners: thank you for showing up!
To our volunteers: thank you for making this event possible!
To our sponsors and donors: thank you for investing in our mission!
Give today at WWW.FOLEYRUN.ORG
#RememberJim #IRunForJim
David Levinson retweeted
Thank you to Senators @ChrisCoons and @RoundsforSenate, their staffs, and the bipartisan, bicameral congressional champions for advancing the End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which passed the Senate this week and now moves to the President's desk for signature.
No American should return from hostage-taking or wrongful detention only to face IRS penalties for taxes they could not pay while in captivity.
The Foley Foundation was proud to advocate for this reform. This issue has surfaced repeatedly in our independent research with survivors of hostage-taking, including our latest report, Beyond Release: Recovery After Hostage-Taking and Wrongful Detention.
Learn more: jamesfoleyfoundation.org/hos…
#BringThemHome #WrongfulDetention #HostageRecovery
David Levinson retweeted
“Reza deserves the full attention and support of President Trump and the United States government, and he should be released immediately," said Ryan Fayhee, Valizadeh's attorney. "As world leaders gather for the U.N. General Assembly, Iran has an opportunity to demonstrate goodwill through action. The release of Reza would not resolve every issue between our nations, but it could help break a cycle of mistrust that has made it unsafe for Iranian-Americans to visit the country of their heritage," Fayhee said.”
More ⤵️ @CBSNews
cbsnews.com/news/senators-ir…
David Levinson retweeted
Today: The Foley Foundation releases Beyond Release: Recovery After Hostage-Taking and Wrongful Detention, a new research report on the experiences of Americans returning from unjust captivity abroad.
Join Elizabeth Richards and a panel of returnees, advocates, and U.S. officials at 3:00 PM ET to discuss the report’s key findings and recommendations.
How to Participate: You can join the webinar at 3:00 PM EASTERN using the access link provided on our report website BRINGINGAMERICANSHOME.ORG
David Levinson retweeted
Tomorrow, September 23: The Foley Foundation will release Beyond Release: Recovery After Hostage-Taking and Wrongful Detention, a nonpartisan, independent research report examining the lived experiences of Americans who have returned from unjust captivity abroad. As more Americans have been brought home over the past 12 years, the challenges they face during recovery have become increasingly apparent.
Join Elizabeth Richards, Foley Foundation Director of Hostage Advocacy & Research, and a panel of returnees, advocates, and U.S. officials as they discuss key findings and recommendations to strengthen support for survivors and inform future policy.
How to Participate:
You can join the webinar at 3:00 PM EASTERN using the access link provided on our report website WWW.BRINGINGAMERICANSHOME.OR…
David Levinson retweeted
At the Foley Foundation, moral courage is at the heart of everything we do.
It's what Jim Foley embodied as a freelance journalist, telling the stories of people the world might otherwise overlook, whatever the risk.
Last year, Jim's friend and former Foley Foundation Board Member Bill Ryan sat down with bestselling author and investigative journalist @praddenkeefe to discuss Keefe's work and what moral courage means to him.
What does #MoralCourage mean to you?
David Levinson retweeted
Coming home is not the end of the story.
For Americans who survive hostage-taking and wrongful detention, recovery can bring a new set of challenges. On September 23, the Foley Foundation will unveil Beyond Release: Recovery After Hostage-Taking and Wrongful Detention, a nonpartisan, independent research report designed to improve support for returned Americans and shape future policy solutions.
Join returnees, advocates, and government leaders for this critical conversation about what happens after Americans come home.
🎟️ Register now: bringingamericanshome.org
Together, we can strengthen America's commitment to bringing our citizens home and helping them heal.
David Levinson retweeted
“The wrongful detainment of innocent civilians is never justifiable. It is a morally bankrupt tool that authoritarian governments use to sidestep the rule of law, often in service of political wins and always at the devastating expense of civilian lives.
“My constituent, Dr. Youlin Chen, is one of those civilians. Dr. Chen has been wrongfully detained by the Chinese government since November 2024. He is a prominent seismologist who has worked collaboratively with Chinese seismologists for years, and his work is highly respected. He has never held a security clearance, and his work is transparent, academic in nature, and publicly reported and attributed. As academics and researchers from the United States and China have long collaborated to the mutual benefit of our countries, the treatment of Dr. Chen has undermined that partnership and may deter other academics from engaging with their colleagues in China.
“To be very clear, Dr. Chen has not been convicted of a crime. Dr. Chen has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest and did not have access to his lawyer for 434 days. He has also not spoken to his family since his arrest. I am deeply concerned about Dr. Chen’s safety and well-being.
“I have been working closely with Dr. Chen’s family since his arrest. I urged Secretary Marco Rubio more than once to designate Dr. Chen as wrongfully detained under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. I am glad this designation has finally been made. I have personally engaged with Ambassador Xie Feng on Dr. Chen’s case and urged him to work with his colleagues in Beijing to secure Dr. Chen’s release. I will continue to do everything within my power to advocate for Dr. Chen’s immediate release.
“Wrongful detainment is a cowardly practice with no winners. Today and every day, the United States must condemn governments and organizations that perpetrate this crime and work hard on behalf of U.S. citizens and families who have fallen victim. I applaud the courage of Dr. Chen’s family for making this difficult decision to go public. It is my hope that increased attention on his unjust detention will force the Chinese government to do the right thing and release Dr. Chen and allow him to return to his family in Massachusetts.
“I am praying for Dr. Youlin Chen and his family today.”
markey.senate.gov/news/press…
David Levinson retweeted
Dear @SayahTweets - I’ve gone back and forth about how to respond to your assertion during your interview w/ @RealAmnaNawaz @NewsHour that there is no systematic targeting of dual nationals by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IRGC. I wholeheartedly disagree with you. But, rather than engage on that point, I have a request. Given your view points on the matter AND given your good standing as an American journalist working in Iran, prove your point by helping to secure the freedom of your fellow American journalist Reza Valizadeh. Learn more about Reza Valizadeh. ⤵️
“Reza Valizadeh is a 49-year-old journalist and dual Iranian American national. After leaving Iran in 2009, Reza returned to Iran for the first time to visit his elderly parents in March 2024 AFTER A HIGH-RANKING COMMANDER IN THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (IRGC) GUARANTEED HIS SAFETY TO RETURN. However, Reza was arrested by the IRGC in September 2024. Since his arrest, Reza has been interrogated and held in solitary confinement. He was SENTENCED, WITHOUT LEGAL DUE PROCESS, to ten years imprisonment on CHARGES OF “COLLABORATION WITH A HOSTILE GOVERNMENT” a VAGUE CHARGE OFTEN USED BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES to TARGET DUAL NATIONALS….” More on @JamesFoleyFund & @BOFHcampaign. @freerezav
And in the spirit of conversation and engagement, I would be more than happy to meet with you while you are here in the U.S. so that I can share better insights about the use of hostage diplomacy by nation states, like Iran. As you say, a “balanced” perspective is important. Lots of resources available here to provide that balanced perspective for you.
With the war approaching seven months, daily life has continued to be difficult for people in Tehran and across Iran. to.pbs.org/4xYrhqe
David Levinson retweeted
UPDATE: Yesterday, on Sept. 15, the House passed H.R. 9496, the End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, by voice vote, after a 40–0 Ways & Means Committee vote.
Sponsored by @RepTenney with @RepDinaTitus and @RepDonBeyer, the bill would pause certain federal tax deadlines for Americans held hostage or unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, extend deadline relief to their spouses, and require the IRS to abate and refund applicable interest, penalties and additional taxes resulting from deadlines missed during captivity.
It would also establish a process for eligible Americans, their spouses and dependents to seek refunds or abatements of applicable penalties and interest dating back to Jan. 1, 2021.
On the Senate side, S.655 is sponsored by @ChrisCoons with @SenatorRounds, @RonWyden, @SenThomTillis, @SenBillCassidy, @SenRickScott, @ChrisVanHollen, @SenFettermanPA, @SenMcCormickPA and @SenatorCollins.
There is also another Senate vehicle further along: the @MikeCrapo–@RonWyden Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act contains the hostage-tax provisions and cleared the Senate Finance Committee 26–1 on July 30.
Thank you to @JamesFoleyFund, @FoleyDi, @jrezaian, returned hostages, families and advocates who have worked for years for stronger protections for Americans coming home from unjust captivity.
I join @JamesFoleyFund in calling on the Senate to quickly pass matching legislation and send it to the President for signature.
AI-assisted research and drafting.
David Levinson retweeted
The Foley Foundation congratulates @RepTenney and co-sponsors @repdinatitus and @RepDonBeyer on the House's unanimous passage of the End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.
For years, the Foley Foundation has advocated alongside returned hostages, families, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers for stronger financial protections for Americans recovering from unjust captivity, including relief from tax penalties incurred while they were detained. We are grateful to see that sustained advocacy advance with today’s House action.
Under current law, Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad face interest, penalties, and fines on federal taxes they are unable to pay while unlawfully detained. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation would provide long-overdue relief to those who have already endured so much.
We urge the Senate to quickly pass matching legislation and send it to the President for signature.
tenney.house.gov/media/press…
David Levinson retweeted
It started because of Jim, it continues because of you - 12 years of impact
Powered by Partnership, Sustained by You
For 12 years, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation has transformed loss into purpose, building a safer future for journalists and defending press freedom. With support from committed partners, we've expanded journalist safety education, reaching newsrooms and universities across the country and helping reporters navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Now we're helping lead the next evolution in journalist safety.
With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (@knightfdn), we are developing Reporting with Resilience, an online journalist safety toolkit that extends safety beyond physical protection. Designed for freelancers, students, and under-resourced newsrooms,
Reporting with Resilience supports journalists who increasingly face burnout, trauma, online harassment, intimidation, and other mental health challenges that can affect their well-being and ability to do their work. The initiative places emotional well-being at the center of journalist safety, providing practical tools, peer support, case studies, and additional resources.
Grant partners help us launch ambitious initiatives, and individual donors help sustain them. As we celebrate 12 years of protecting journalists and strengthening press freedom, we invite you to help shape the Foundation's next chapter. Please consider making an anniversary gift today at jamesfoleyfoundation.org/don….
David Levinson retweeted
It started because of Jim, it continues because of you — 12 years of impact
Wrongful Detention Designations Matter - Why Delays Cause Harm
Delays in wrongful detention designations carry real costs, both practical and psychological. Families are left in limbo, unsure whether their government is fighting for their loved one’s freedom.
As one expert told us, “…a wrongful detention designation [is] a means [for the government] to communicate to families that ‘I see you.’”
Our mission is to amplify these families’ voices, push for reforms, and ensure every American held abroad receives the support Congress intended.
Join us in this critical work. Become a monthly donor and stand with families: jamesfoleyfoundation.org/don…
David Levinson retweeted
Today marks six months of open conflict between the U.S. and Iran. At least four U.S. nationals remain unjustly imprisoned by the Iranian regime, including Reza Valizadeh, who has been held for 705 days, and Kamran Hekmati, who has been held for 427 days.
Reza was sentenced without due process to ten years in prison and has endured interrogation and solitary confinement and Kamran faced a sham trial and false charges before being imprisoned in a facility notorious for holding political prisoners and for its horrific treatment of detainees.
The freedom of these Americans cannot be sidelined. Any resolution to the conflict must begin with the Iranian regime releasing Reza, Kamran, and the others!
David Levinson retweeted
Thinking of these Americans who are being wrongfully detained abroad and of their families who fighting with everything they have to bring them home 🙏🏼
@freeandrekhach
@Zackbackhome
#freeMahmoodHabibi
#freeDavidBarnes
#FreeOlgaJezler
#FreeChuckZimmerman
#FreeAlexsandrAntonov
#FreeAlinaLopez
#FreeRezaValizadeh
#FreeKamranHekmati
#YFreeYoulinChen
⤵️
The weekend is here and I couldn't happier, but I remember how much I hated weekends when my brother was wrongfully detained in Iran. I saw the weekend as two days lost - government offices closed, negotiations likely not happening, and everyone home relaxing with their families while my brother was apart from his. If you know anyone who has a loved one held hostage abroad, reach out to them this weekend. Let them know you are thinking of them.
David Levinson retweeted
Am really lamenting the multiple missed opportunities to secure the freedom of our Americans wrongfully detained in Iran. Trust us - those of us who have had loved ones wrongfully detained there & who spent years trying to get our U.S. govt to act quickly to bring home our Americans know better than anyone that the deals don’t get better - the only thing that happens by waiting longer is risking their health, their lives, and their misery. @freerezav #freeKamranHekmati
thearabweekly.com/iran-envoy…
