Levinson family hopes for answers as New Jersey marks first Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day
TRENTON, N.J. — As New Jersey prepares to observe its first Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day on Monday, the family of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent and government contractor who disappeared in Iran nearly two decades ago, says recent developments have renewed hopes for answers.
Levinson vanished in 2007 while on a CIA-related mission in Iran and is believed to be the longest-held American hostage in U.S. history. The U.S. government declared him dead in March 2020, though his remains have never been recovered.
The March 9 observance was established to recognize Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad and to honor Levinson. State lawmakers sponsored the measure after advocacy by Levinson’s family, including his daughter, Sarah Levinson, who lives in New Jersey.
Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, R-Morris, said the family’s persistence played a key role in bringing the observance to the state.
“I can imagine the family lost patience many times over the years, but they never lost hope that justice would be served,” Inganamort said. “I saw that in the perseverance Sarah brought in working to get this day officially recognized not only for her father, but for other families who have loved ones taken hostage or wrongfully detained.”
The observance was created through resolutions sponsored by Inganamort and Sen. Parker Space, R-Sussex, Morris and Warren, and signed into law Jan. 20. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to formally recognize the day and fly the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag over the Statehouse.
The flag, created by families of Americans held abroad, is flown at federal buildings including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the State Department on March 9, Flag Day, Independence Day and whenever an American hostage returns home.
The Levinson family said recent geopolitical developments have renewed hopes that new information may emerge about what happened to him. The family has long blamed the Iranian government for his disappearance and presumed death.
“Now Iran must do what it has refused to do for nearly two decades: provide full accountability for what happened to our father, return his remains to our family, and disclose the truth about his kidnapping, imprisonment and death,” the family said in a statement shared publicly March 1.
As of October 2025, the U.S. government believes nearly 50 Americans are being held hostage or wrongfully detained in at least 13 countries, though exact numbers are difficult to determine.
The last known images of Levinson surfaced in 2011 when photographs and videos of him in captivity were released. Since then, no additional proof of life has been made public.
A $25 million reward remains in place for information leading to the recovery of Levinson’s remains.
