An American missionary who was detained in Tunisia for over a year was released on Sunday.
Officials gained the release of U.S. citizen Robert Vieira on Sunday afternoon, according to a Reuters report citing U.S. special envoy Adam Boehler.Boehler told the outlet that Vieira was doing missionary work when he was detained by Tunisian authorities 13 months ago.
Officials reportedly suspected Vieira of espionage.
Tunisia, a North African country bordered by Algeria and Libya, was amenable to Vieira’s release after Boehler worked closely with its foreign minister, Mohamed Ali Nafti.
After being released on Sunday, Vieira flew back home to the U.S. alongside his family.
‘We appreciate the government of Tunisia’s decision to resolve this case and allow Mr. Vieira to reunite with his family after more than 13 months of pre-trial detention,’ Boehler said.
Boehler credited his collaboration with Nafti for securing the detainee’s release.
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for additional comment but did not immediately hear back.
Reuters contributed to this report.
