Weaponizing Civilians – A Conversation on Hostage Diplomacy with Dr. Danielle Gilbert
November 15th, 2023 12:00PM -1:00PM
In September, the Biden administration secured the release of five Americans who had been held hostage by the Iranian regime, one of whom had been detained for more than eight years. Nearly a year ago, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention in exchange for Viktor Bout, the notorious arms dealer known as the “merchant of death.” Dozens of Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, remain illegally detained as states seek to weaponize American citizens for diplomatic advantage. What price is the United States willing to pay to bring American hostages home? And do negotiations and concessions incentivize other states to engage in hostage diplomacy to create leverage over the United States?
Please join us virtually on November 15 at 12 pm for a conversation with Dr. Danielle Gilbert, commissioner for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention, on the growing trend of hostage diplomacy and what’s at stake.
About the Speaker
Danielle Gilbert is a commissioner for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention. She is also an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and a fellow with the Bridging the Gap Project. Her research explores the causes and consequences of hostage taking, including projects on rebel kidnapping, hostage recovery policy, hostage diplomacy, and ransomware. Broadly, she studies political violence, international security, civil war, terrorism, and negotiations.
Danielle's current book project examines why and how armed groups kidnap during civil war. Her research is published in the American Political Science Review, International Studies Perspectives, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Terrorism & Political Violence, the Texas National Security Review, and the Journal of Political Science Education.
About the Moderator
Caesar Kalinowski IV is a First Amendment and Media Litigator at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. Caesar takes an expansive view of his clients' First Amendment and intellectual property rights, regularly defending lawsuits targeting expression, religious practice, and fair use of artistic material. Drawing on his background in global special operations and intelligence collection, Caesar loves working in small teams under demanding circumstances to push back on government overreach. Caesar also regularly litigates issues related to press freedoms and fair reporting on matters of public concern, in addition to championing First Amendment and Section 230 protections for social media platforms and technology providers.
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