(CNN) — Senior State Department and White House officials meet “regularly” with the family of Shiamak Namazi, an American citizen detained in Iran since 2015, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday.

“We will always stand up for the rights of our fellow citizens who have been unjustly detained, and that certainly includes Siamak Namasi,” Price added.

He continued, “Senior officials in this building and at the White House will meet regularly and consult with the Namasi family and will continue to do so until this illegal and unacceptable detention ends.”

Namasi, a US-Iranian dual citizen, has been detained for the longest time in Iran after being arrested during a business trip. .

Speaking to CNN Thursday from a prison in Iran, Namazi expressed concern that “the White House doesn’t realize how serious our situation is.” Namasi told CNN from Evin Prison that the call was “a brave decision”.

The spokesman declined to provide further details about the US administration’s efforts to free Namazi, saying they had made it clear to Iran that “our priority is to release Namazi and the two American detainees,” and described Iran’s detention of people as “an illegal practice that must end,” adding : “Iranians know we will do everything we can to bring these Americans back to their loved ones.”

In an exclusive interview from inside Iran’s “Evin” prison, Namasi told CNN anchor Christian Amanpour that he “spent months in solitary confinement” and that the conditions he experienced were “deplorable.” Calamities.”

“I don’t feel comfortable saying anything about it on CNN, but the short answer is that they always make me feel like my humanity has been taken away from me, not just my freedom,” he said.

Continuing, he said, “I am in the general ward today. The situation in the general ward is much better than the corner of hell when I was in the detention center. It is far from a pleasant place, but everything becomes relative,” he said.

“It is still difficult for me to bear the basic fact that many rights of a prisoner have been taken away because I am a hostage. I don’t know how to convey that to you. I see hardened criminals, ISIS members and human beings. Traffickers who have more rights than me,” Namasi noted.

The guards at the detention center treated me “with no semblance of human dignity. I was caged for months. I slept in a closet the size of a closet for months. On the floor, eating like a dog from under the door. Honestly. “That was the least of my misfortunes, to this day. ..”, he was affected for some time unable to finish his speech.

“I’m so sorry, it’s so hard for me,” she said, “and the upside is, one day, my therapist is going to make a lot of money for this.”