As the rest of the media quite correctly touts the causes of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, two Americans inexcusably imprisoned by Russia’s murderous Vladimir Putin, maybe they could spare a few words for American Bassem Awadallah, who has been improperly and brutally imprisoned in Jordan for more than 34 months.
For just as long, American media gatekeepers have studiously avoided Dr. Awadallah’s cause, even as the Biden administration has worked only fecklessly behind the scenes to try to secure his release. But President Joe Biden meets with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Feb. 12. He should absolutely insist, quite publicly, that King Abdullah release Awadallah immediately to U.S. custody, even if it takes agreeing to impose a travel ban on Awadallah that keeps him away from the Middle East.
