FBI Washington Field Office Statement on the 16th Anniversary of the Abduction of Robert A. Levinson
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the abduction of Robert A. “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran, on March 9, 2007. Bob, who served his country as an FBI special agent for 22 years and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent for six years before that, retired in 1998. Bob is remembered this day, and every day, by his FBI friends and colleagues.
“Sixteen years have passed since Bob was abducted in Iran. Despite this passage of time, Bob remains a part of our FBI family, and we remain as committed as ever to bringing him home,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI and our partners across the U.S. government will continue to seek answers for Bob’s wife, children, and grandchildren, and we will not rest until the Levinson family has those answers. We will continue to pursue every lead possible, including calling on the Iranian government to assist with Bob’s return.”
Tomorrow, March 10, 2023, Bob should be celebrating his 75th birthday with his wife, children, and grandchildren. However, this momentous occasion is instead another milestone missed and another day too many that Bob’s family is left with unanswered questions. Despite the most credible evidence collected over the past 16 years pointing to the likelihood that Bob died in Iranian captivity, the FBI remains committed to seeking answers and returning Bob to his family and country.
This anniversary also serves as another opportunity for the government of Iran to help return Bob home to his family. The FBI again renews its repeated calls to Iran to uphold its prior commitments to cooperate and to share information that could lead to Bob’s return.
The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to the location, recovery, and return of Bob Levinson. Information related to Bob’s disappearance or detention can be provided directly to the FBI at LevinsonFBIreward@fbi.gov. In addition to the FBI reward, the Department of State Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the location, recovery, and return of Bob. More information about this reward is located on the RFJ website.
