Robert A. “Bob” Levinson (born March 10, 1948) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 private detective and former FBI agent. He disappeared in March 2007 when visiting Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

's Kish Island while apparently researching a cigarette-smuggling case. He had previously worked on an inquiry into the murder of American Paul Klebnikov

Paul Klebnikov

Paul Klebnikov was a Russian-American journalist and historian of Russian history. He worked for Forbes Magazine for over 10 years and at the time of his death was Chief editor of the Russian edition. His murder in Moscow in 2004 was seen as a blow against investigative journalism in Russia...

 in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

.

Iranian involvement

The Iranian government has stated that it has no information about the case, but officials from the U.S. State Department

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

 have cast doubt on the Iranian government's claims.

On September 5, 2007 Iran blocked a US request to allow Swiss diplomats to go to Kish Island to look for the luggage or other traces of Levinson.

Family Investigation

Media reported in August 2007 that Christine Levinson, wife of Robert, was planning a trip to Iran with their oldest son. The Department of State stressed that there was a travel warning to that country and they would be doing so at their own risk. Iran announced on September 23, 2007, that she would be allowed to visit the country.

In December 2007, Christine Levinson and her son traveled to Iran to attempt to learn more about Levinson's disappearance. That trip yielded nothing new. In July 2008, Christine said that she wanted to travel to Iran again soon.

Interview with Iranian president

In an interview with NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

's Brian Williams

Brian Williams

Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...

, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was questioned regarding Levinson's case and its status. He responded:

There was a claim made some time ago, some people came over, the gentleman’s family came over. They talked and met with our officials and were given our responses. I see no reason for a person who was given an Iranian visa and — came into Iran, arrived in Iran through official channels, to have problems here. Our security officials and agents have expressed their willingness to assist the FBI, if the FBI has any information about his travels around the world.

We have said that we are ready to help, to assist with that matter. There are certain information that only FBI at the moment have. I am not an expert in that field, as you might appreciate, so I’m not going to make a judgment here whether that information, as they say, it is true and only held by the FBI or other parties for that matter.

U.S. Government Investigation

On January 13, 2009, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson

Bill Nelson

Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...

 revealed during Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing that he believes Robert Levinson is being held in a secret prison in Iran. "The door has been closed at every turn," Nelson said during Clinton's confirmation hearing. "We think he is being held by the government of Iran in a secret prison."

According to the New York Times, Levinson had been meeting with Dawud Salahuddin

Dawud Salahuddin

Dawud Salahuddin, sometimes spelled Daoud Salahuddin is an African-American convert to Islam most famous for his 1980 killing of Ali Akbar Tabatabai, an Iranian dissident and critic of Ayatollah Khomeini, and his exile in the Islamic Republic of Iran.-Biography and activities:Dawud Salahuddin was...

, (an American convert to Islam wanted for the 1980 murder of an Iranian dissident in the US) "just before he went missing."

Current Status

On March 3, 2011, U.S. Department of State officials announced that there is evidence that Levinson is alive and being held somewhere in Southwest Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. According to The Associated Press, Levinson's family received "irrefutable proof" of life late in 2010.

External links

• Help Bob Levinson