Page 17 of Grave Danger
“The UK accepted his Hague application. That’s their prerogative. As far as the US State Department is concerned, that’s the end of the story.”
Jack was not so naive as to think that politics didn’t play a role. “I’m betting there’s much more to it.”
“We don’t care to hear your speculation, Mr. Swyteck.”
“Let me ask you this. I’ve been told that the State Department helped Mr. Bazzi find my client in Miami. Is that true?”
Jack was only half bluffing, having heard no specifics about the Bazzi case, but his mandatory Hague training had opened his eyes to the State Department’s role in tracking down abused mothers accused of abducting their own children.
“I can’t comment on this specific case, but that is an accommodation this office sometimes provides.”
“Is it also true that you helped find Mr. Bazzi a new lawyer to file the amended petition?”
“Again, I can’t comment on specific cases.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Mr. Swyteck, just so you understand—the State Department takes a neutral position in suits under the Hague Convention.”
“Neutral? It says right on your website that the State Department is ‘a leader in US government efforts to prevent international parent child abduction.’”
Comstock remained composed, but her voice took on an edge. “Yes, and it can’t be any other way. If the US fails to return children to a foreign country, then parents in the US will have a hard time getting their children back when they are abducted and taken abroad. Surely you can understand that.”
Jack did. But he was also getting a taste of how, behind the scenes, the State Department stacked the deck against the abducting parent—even when she was an abused spouse. The original purpose of his call was a lost cause, but he needed to know how firmly the State Department was in Farid’s camp.
“I want you to be aware that, as part of my client’s case, I intend to prove that Farid Bazzi is an abuser,” Jack said. “He was abusive to both Zahra Bazzi and her sister, Ava, before she disappeared.”
Comstock showed no reaction, but Jack’s words drew obvious concern from the division chief for the Eastern Hemisphere. Davis was a former US marine with the haircut of an enlisted man and the no-nonsense demeanor of a career officer.
“Let me offer you some friendly advice on that point,” said Davis. “Perhaps friendlier than it would be if you were not Governor Swyteck’s son.”
“I’m listening.”
“Ava Bazzi disappeared at a very low point in US-Iranian relations.”
“That sounds like a very sanitized way of saying that she was one of over five hundred Iranians who were killed or disappeared for voicing their opposition to the hijab laws.”
Davis continued, unfazed by Jack’s point. “Since then, the State Department and the Iranian government have made important diplomatic advances. The most obvious was the disbanding of the clerical police. But there are other issues on the table being negotiated, not all related to humanrights. In fact, there are very important negotiations underway at this very moment, which we are of course unable to discuss with you.”
“What are you telling me?”
“The official position of the Iranian government is that Ava Bazzi escaped from jail in Tehran, fled the country, and is now living in the West.”
“What is the State Department’s position?” asked Jack.
“The State Department has never taken an official position.”
“That’s shameful.”
“Your opinion is not germane to my point.”
“What is your point?”
“Given the active and delicate diplomatic negotiations currently at stake here, right now would be a very inopportune time to resurrect the question of whether Ava Bazzi was among those killed by the clerical police.”
Jack was taken aback. “Are you asking me to present my client’s case in a way that does not conflict with the official position of the Iranian government?”
“No,” said Davis. “I’m simply pointing out that what happened to Ava Bazzi during her marriage to Farid Bazzi is one thing. What happened to her after she was arrested by the clerical police is quite another. If you were to try to inject the latter into your case, it would be... shall we say, unfortunate.”