Jill Tahmooressi, mother of jailed Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, delivered a passionate opening statement before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, reading her son's correspondence materials that detail the extent of his mistreatment and abuse throughout his imprisonment in Mexico.
"'Mom, I tried to kill myself, because the guards and the inmates were going to rape, torture, and execute me for personal information,'" Tahmooressi quoted from her son before the Committee. "'I needed to protect you.'"
Tahmooressi held back tears as she read aloud letters from her son describing the brutality he faced.
"These quotes, horrific in varying degrees for a mother, pale in comparison to Andrew's statement that 'my time in Mexico has been far worse than my two combat tours to Afghanistan,'" Tahmooressi said.
Recent revelations that Sgt. Tahmooressi is suffering from PTSD has added urgency to the voices calling for his release.
"The White House responded that they would ask for urgency, but today the urgency to influence expedition, in my opinion, is ineffective," Tahmooressi said. "It is six months and we are still connecting dots."
Sgt. Tahmooressi was arrested April 1 after taking a wrong turn into the San Ysidro Port of Entry, where he was found with three firearms in his truck.