Appendix A: Requests Regarding Mental Health, Physical, and Financial Support for Returning Hostages and Unlawful or Wrongful Detainees

This appendix provides a list of requests for mental health, physical, and financial support for returning hostages and unlawful or wrongful detainees that were voiced by participants. These are presented in no particular order.

• Extended reintegration support from the HRFC and supportive NGOs for hostages
• Reintegration support from the SPEHA’s office for returning detainees
• More access to pro bono psychiatrists, psychologists, and/or counselors with expertise dealing with high level trauma
• Access to welfare (for some cases)
• Assistance getting medical insurance—often difficult when some former captives are unable to work immediately after returning home
• Mental health support for families to deal with depression and anxiety or, in some cases, to deal with arbitrary losses
• More access to pro bono human rights lawyers—often families’ resources get depleted finding legal representation for their loved ones held overseas
• Assist with finding employment after captivity (if able to work)
• Assist with finding housing after returning from captivity
• Financial assistance—working with IRS, credit card companies, and other financial institutions to recoup losses, remove fines and penalties, and help fix credit scores
• Improved handling of tax filings for former unlawful or wrongful detainees
• Inclusion of unlawful or wrongful detainees on the State Department’s list of hostages to pause their IRS accounts while held in captivity
• For the IRS to make exceptions for individuals held hostage or unlawfully or wrongfully detained who cannot pay their taxes while held in captivity against their will