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The Foley Flame: Illuminating Updates
June 2025
| | SPOTLIGHT: JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN | | Dual U.S. - Israeli citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and released almost 500 days later. His father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, talks about their long ordeal. | | |
During the last three months 6 hostages and wrongful detainees returned home. We thank the Trump administration for the diplomacy that resulted in their return.
Welcome home!
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George Glezmann
Released from Afghanistan on March 20, 2025 after 836 days of captivity
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Faye Hall
Released from Afghanistan on March 29, 2025 after 56 days of captivity
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Ksenia Karelina
Released from Russia on April 10, 2025 after 439 days of captivity
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Youras Ziankovich
Released from Belarus on April 30, 2025 after 1,480 days of captivity
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Edan Alexander
Released from the Palestinian Territories on May 12, 2025 after 583 days of captivity
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Joseph St. Clair
Released from Venezuela on May 20, 2025 after 184 days of captivity
| | A Decade of Successful Hostage Policy Reforms | | |
On June 24 2015 President Obama's administration published Presidential Policy Directive 30 (PPD-30) which reformed U.S. government policy in response to international hostage-taking, including the killing the year before of James Foley and the other American hostages held by the Islamic State.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Directive, The Foley Foundation, in partnership with the McCain Institute, hosted an online event that brought together policymakers, advocates, government officials, and family members of Americans unjustly held captive abroad.
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Multiple events organized and sponsored by the Foley Foundation and partner organizations were held in Washington DC during the week of April 28-May 2, what has come to be known as “Hostage Week”
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| The 2025 James W. Foley Legacy Awards were presented in a ceremony in Washington D.C. on April 29, 2025. Click on the button below to watch the proceedings, including video presentations on each of the awardees as well as their acceptance speeches. | | Members of the Bring Our Families Home Campaign created and unveiled a mural to raise awareness of 11 of their members still held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad at the time. A press conference was also held the next day. | | Other events were held with the sponsorship and participation of the Foley Foundation. They included facilitated meetings between hostage and wrongful detainee families and U.S. Government officials; and meetings between former hostage and their families with health counselors. | | Oslo Freedom Forum – May 26-28 | | |
Foley Foundation Executive Director Benjamin Gray was invited by the Human Rights Foundation to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum in late May. This long-standing conference brings together human rights activists to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore creative strategies to combat the abuses of authoritarian regimes.
| | The Foley Foundation has received a $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to develop a self-guided journalist safety toolkit. With a focus on college journalists, freelancers, and underserved newsrooms, this project seeks to empower journalists in conducting risk assessments, mitigating physical and psychological threats, improving digital security, identifying and addressing mental trauma, and gaining a better understanding of legal, financial, and personal considerations. This project will be led by Tom Durkin, the Foley Foundation's director of safety education, and Lauren Walsh, director of NYU’s Gallatin Photojournalism Initiative. | | RFK Human Rights Guide Presentation | | |
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights created a Guide on Engaging the United States Government on Arbitrary and Wrongful Detention Cases provides clear and concise information regarding advocacy strategies and engagement with the United States Government on arbitrary and wrongful detention cases.
Foley Foundation’s Diane Foley, President, and Liz Richards, Director of Research, participated in the webinar that marked the introduction of the Guide.
| | The DC/DOX Documentary Film Festival and the Foley Foundation | | DC/DOX is a major festival that celebrates the power and potential of documentary film. The 2025 edition was held in Washington D.C. in June 11-14 and featured two documentaries related to the Foley Foundation mission. | | Diane Foley Receives an Honorary Degree form Marquette University, Delivers Commencement Address | | On May 10th, Foley Foundation’s Founder and President, Diane Foley, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Marquette University She also had the honor of delivering the Commencement address for the class of 2025. | | American Mother Opera Premieres in Germany | | American Mother, a new opera based by acclaimed British composer Charlotte Bray with libretto by Colum McCann, the co-author of the book of the same title, was premiered in Hagen Germany to critical and public acclaim. | | For the second year in a row, and to celebrate the MCM’s 50th anniversary, The Foley Foundation is proud to participate in the MCM by sponsoring 5 dedicated runners who will #RunForJim on October 26 2025 to promote journalist safety and advocate for American hostages and wrongful detainees. | | Save the Date: Foley Freedom Run | | |
Foley Freedom Run - Rochester NH
October 18th 2025
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Foley Freedom Run - Washington DC
October 25th 2025
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Foley Freedom Run - Virtual Worldwide
Any time between October 18th and 25th
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Save the dates for the 2025 edition of the annual Foley Freedom Runs, a 5k run celebrated every October around James Foley's birthday and a major fundraising event for the Foley Foundation. Registration information is coming soon
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