A temporary mural dedicated to Americans who have been wrongfully detained abroad is being taken down after it was plastered on a wall in the Georgetown Neighborhood of D.C. for a year-and-a-half.
Some of the prisoners included in the mural have returned home since its creation, but others are still being held in foreign lands.
“What’s more unforgettable than a mural that’s deteriorating in Georgetown,” artist Isaac Campbell told WTOP.
However, a more permanent mural is expected to be installed at the space on M Street NW sometime in the spring.
Families that were present at the mural removal will also gather with supporters of the Bring Our Families Home Campaign in front of the White House on Tuesday.
The paper mural of 19 faces of those detained was installed using wheat paste in July of 2022. It was only supposed to last for a few months, but survived well over a year.
The Bring Our Families Home Campaign mural was finally taken down by an industrial power washer wielded by friends and family of those taken.
Many of the U.S. residents depicted, including Paul Rusesabagina and Brittney Griner, have returned home but eight are still in captivity.
Eyvin Hernandez
Two friends of Eyvin Hernandez were present as the mural was removed.
Hernandez, a Los Angeles, California-based public defender, was abducted by Venezuelan authorities while he was vacationing in Colombia near the border in March of 2022. He was charged with espionage.
“He finds himself, you know, living a nightmare in Venezuela. Especially, you know, given the fact that he didn’t do anything, that he’s innocent,“ said Gladdys Uribe, a longtime friend and classmate of Hernandez.
Shaffy Moeel described Hernandez as a social justice advocate who used his UCLA law degree to help the most vulnerable in Southern California. She said that spirit hasn’t stopped.
“It doesn’t surprise us that our friend is still acting as an advocate, to get people released even while he himself is in captivity,” she told WTOP.
Zack Shahin
Zack Shahin has been imprisoned in Dubai since 2008 for what are described as “financial crimes.”
He has fallen ill in the past year both physically and mentally. His family is pushing harder than ever to see him released and return home.
“He was on the verge of suicide recently,” said Ida Dagher, his sister-in-law. “It’s not just him in jail. It’s his family. The whole family,” Dagher added, describing how difficult it’s been for Shahin’s family to live without him.
Both children got married without their father present and Dagher’s sister carries the phone with her everywhere, including in the shower, hoping of word about Shahin’s fate.
“All I can say, our voices cannot be heard properly. We’ve been trying to get an appointment, a brief appointment, or even a phone call with President Biden, nothing,” Dagher said.
Majd Kamalmaz
Humanitarian and psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz was arrested within 24 hours of landing in Syria in February of 2017.
Since he was taken, no word on his status has ever reached his family.
“We don’t know if he’s even alive or not. And that has been an absolutely painful experience,” his daughter Mariam told WTOP. “We have been unable to hear his voice, get any news about him, there has been no trial, no case, nothing against him. They do not come out and admit that they have him. … We feel helpless, we need the U.S. government to step in, President Biden to do the best he can to continue working to negotiate.”
