The U.S. Department of State has issued an official call for the release and pardoning of the three Americans detained in North Korea, in a press statement on Monday.

The call follows an interview with Kenneth Bae, Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Miller conducted by CNN in Pyongyang Monday, in which the three detainees had asked for U.S. assistance in securing their release.

The State Department affirmed that “there is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad”.

In the press release, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said that “out of humanitarian concern for Jeffrey Fowle, Matthew