Why is Iran still holding Robert Levinson and what is the US doing about it?

Robert Levinson went missing in Iran six years ago; and is believed to be still languishing in some Mahdi-ist hellhole of a jail somewhere in Iran.

H/t Reza Khalili

AL ARABIYA WITH AGENCIES -The United States has asked for Iranian help to locate the whereabouts of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing six years ago while on a trip to the Islamic Republic. The anniversary of Levinson’s disappearance falls on Saturday, and White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington still placed a high priority on finding Levinson and bringing him home.

“The Iranian government previously offered assistance in locating Mr. Levinson, and we look forward to receiving this assistance, even as we disagree on other key issues,” Carney said.

“The FBI has also announced a $1 million reward for information leading to Mr. Levinson’s safe return. This year, we again reaffirm our commitment to bringing him home to those who love him.”

Iran’s government previously said it has no information about the whereabouts of Levinson’s, who has become another point of tension between the two nations already at odds over multiple issues, including Tehran’s nuclear program.

Mystery shrouds the fate of Levinson, who disappeared on Iran’s Gulf island of Kish while reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting in the region. He is believed to be held hostage somewhere in the area, according to Reuters news agency. His wife Christine last heard from him on March 8, 2007.

On January 8, Christine released photos of her husband wearing an orange jumpsuit similar to those worn by prisoners at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay Detention Center in Cuba, holding a white placard that read, “Why You Can Not Help Me.”

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