The following article was published in Asharq Al Awsat on April 23, 2018. The original version can be read here.
Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese detainee currently held in Iran, is in “very bad health,” his family members said in a statement presented to Prime Minister Saad Hariri Monday. PM Hariri received a delegation from the town of Kalamoun, headed by the President of the Municipality Talal Dankar, in the presence of the sister of the Lebanese citizen detained in Iran Nizar Zakka, Maha Zakka. “We learned that Nizar suffers from difficult health conditions, so we are afraid that his health will deteriorate and that he will return to us dead,” read the statement, which Zakka’s sister, Maha, read to Hariri. “He has been thrown in Evin Prison without committing any offense.” Zakka recounted how her family lost contact with her brother who was kidnapped after went to Iran on an official invitation to participate in a conference. “Even the Lebanese ambassador to Iran is not in contact with him,” she complained, calling on President Aoun and Premier Hariri to do what they can to help bring back Nizar safely from Iran. After the meeting, Dankar said: “We discussed with Prime Minister Hariri the case of the son of Kalamoun Nizar Zakka, who has been detained for more than two and a half years and is suffering from a difficult and unclear health situation. What we heard from Premier Hariri assured us regarding his detailed follow up on this issue. He told us he will inform us soon about the latest developments in this case and we hoped that this file would end with his safe return.” Zakka was arrested after traveling to Iran to attend a state-sponsored conference in the capital, Tehran, in 2015. At the time of his arrest, he was the secretary-general of IJMA3, an Arab communications organization, and had received an official invitation to visit Iran. Statement on the Continued Unlawful Detention of Internet Freedom Advocate Nizar Zakka
Earlier today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee convened to markup H.R. 4744 – Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, which was passed by the Committee and now goes to the House Floor for a vote. The measure, if passed by the House, would impose additional sanctions with respect to serious human rights abuses of the Government of Iran, and on Iranian officials involved in hostage-taking of U.S. citizens and U.S. Legal Permanent Residents.
On behalf of Mr. Nizar Zakka and his family, Mr. Zakka’s lawyer in the United States, Mr. Jason Poblete, issued the following statement:
“Nizar and his family thank members of the Congress, especially Congressmen McCaul, Deutch, Royce, and Engel, the original cosponsors of the bill, for sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that hostage-taking of U.S. citizens and U.S. Legal Permanent Residents will not go unanswered. Mr. Zakka hopes this action, and the many other efforts by President Trump and his national security team will lead to Nizar’s unconditional release as well as the unconditional release of all unlawfully detained persons in Iran.”
Mr. Zakka traveled to Iran in September 2015, at the invitation of Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi, to speak at a conference on the use of technology and the Internet to promote social, economic, and educational development in the region. After the meeting, en route to the airport, Mr. Zakka was taken by persons believed to be associated with the IRGC’s Basij or the intelligence services. Nizar was unlawfully detained on September 18, 2015, the day before the U.S. Congress voted on the JCPOA political agreement between the United States and Iran.
Nizar has been falsely accused of espionage. In a March 2018 statement to the United Nations, Iranian officials, again, falsely accused Nizar of being involved in a “plot for overthrowing the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Despite the pressures, including psychological and physical torture, as well as several hunger strikes, Nizar has maintained his innocence and has refused to sign forced confessions. The Iranian government has sent mixed signals about Nizar’s case including a statement by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on November 7, 2016 that “[w]hat happened with Mr. Zakka is not a problem between Iran and Lebanon, seeing as the problem was the violation of the applicable laws in Iran by a foreigner, and the problem is actually between the United States and Iran.” Last year the US Congress approved two Congressional Resolutions urging, among other things, that President Donald Trump make the “release of United States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens held hostage by the Government of Iran the highest of priorities … and that the United States and its allies whose nationals have been detained consider establishing a multinational task force to secure the release of the detainees.” UPDATE 21-Zakka Family Than... by pobletetamargo on Scribd H.R. 4744 - Iran Human Righ... by pobletetamargo on Scribd
Prior Statements and Releases
The following interview appeared in Radiofaroda, the Persian language broadcaster at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, on February 10, 2018. The White House on Wednesday warned Iran that it will be held responsible for the health of 81-year-old American citizen Baquer Namazi, who was recently sent back to prison after medical treatment. “He remains in urgent need of sustained medical care, and the United States government holds Iran fully accountable for his well-being,” a statement from the White House read. “The Trump administration again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all unjustly detained and missing United States citizens in Iran, including Baquer Namazi, his son Siamak Namazi, Xiyue Wang, and Robert Levinson.” The Namazis were sentenced to 10 years in prison for “espionage and collaboration with the American government” in October — a charge denied by the family and dismissed by US authorities. In addition to US citizens, Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese national and permanent resident of the U.S. is also imprisoned in Iran since September 2015. In an exclusive interview with Nader Sadighi, Radio Farda Senior Correspondent in Washington, Attorney of Mr. Zakka said that his client has been diagnosed for Cancer and needs immediate medical treatment. In response to first question regarding his client’s condition in prison, Attorney Jason Poblete says Iranian authorities refuse to provide any medical treatment to Nizar:
Family fears he could die at any timeAn ailing 81-year-old Iranian-American who Iranian authorities recently returned to prison against the advice of doctors was rushed the hospital with a racing heart rate Sunday, according to his attorney.
Baquer Namazi, who has a pacemaker and has suffered life-threatening heart problems in Iran’s notorious Evin prison for two years, was sent to the hospital late Sunday night when his heart rate doubled from its usual 60 beats per minute to 120 beats per minute. He also experienced fluctuations in blood pressure and a severe loss of energy, his attorney Jared Genser said in a statement. His family once again fears he could die at any time and has pleaded with Iranian authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds. “I don’t know what needs to happen for the Iranian authorities to allow my father to stay out of prison and heed the advice of their own medical examiner panel,” said Namazi’s son, Babak Namazi. “I beg the authorities to let him stay home on parole on humanitarian grounds.” Genser argued Iranian authorities will be “directly responsible if anything happens to Baquer Namazi.” He has previously said returning Namazi to prison from medical leave would amount to a “death sentence.” “He must be immediately released on medical parole,” Genser said. “And Iran must act expeditiously to engage with the United States to find a resolution to all these wrongly imprisoned American cases, including Baquer’s son Siamak Namazi, who also remains imprisoned.” In late January, Iranian authorities released Baquer Namazi on a week-long medical leave, after which the country’s medical examiner recommended he remain released for at least three months to seek specialized medical care, his family and attorney said. However, the family’s hopes were dashed when Tehran decided to send Namazi back to Evin prison, instead of extending the medical furlough. Namazi’s personal doctors have said the prison conditions are contributing to his heart problems. The decision to return Namazi to the prison earned a sharp rebuke from the White House, which said it would hold the Iranian government “fully accountable” for Namazi’s well-being and called for his immediate and unconditional release. Genser and the Namazi family also disclosed a separate incident on Monday, a previously unreported health scare that occurred Feb. 7 when they said Baquer Namazi suffered a severe drop in blood pressure and was so weak that he couldn’t walk. He was taken by stretcher to Evin prison’s infirmary where he was given IV fluids and medication, they said. Evin prison authorities also are denying medical attention to Nizar Zakka, another imprisoned U.S. permanent resident, even though an Iranian doctor hired by his family has diagnosed him with colon cancer, his attorney told the Center for Human Rights in Iran, a New York-based nonprofit last week. The attorney, Jason Poblete, said Zakka needs a colonoscopy to confirm the diagnosis, but the Iranian government won’t allow it. In addition, Zakka, a Lebanese-born informational technology expert and internet freedom advocate, was taken to Evin’s clinic for oxygen last week because he was coughing up blood and could be suffering from bronchitis. Poblete also said Zakka and his American cellmate, Xiyue Wang, a Chinese-American and Princeton graduate student, also believe prison officials are drugging their food to make them sleepy. Poblete argued that western leaders who plan visits to Iran, including French President Macron who is planning a trip scheduled for March, should condition their travel on Iran’s release of all unjustly detained people, U.S. citizens as well as those from European countries and elsewhere. The Iranian government rebuffed attempts by the Trump administration late last year to develop a channel of communication about Americans held in Iran and prisoners the U.S. government has prosecuted, according to sources familiar with the details of the efforts. One source, however, downplayed suggestions that the Trump administration would consider a prisoner swap without reforms related to Tehran’s breach of international law through its continued firing of ballistic missiles and other issues related to the nuclear deal. The original article by Susan Crabtree can be found here. AUTHORITIES IGNORE POTENTIAL CANCER DIAGNOSIS FOR US RESIDENT NIZAR ZAKKA, DENY HIM MEDICAL CARE2/8/2018
“Evin Prison officials are using medicine as a weapon”US permanent resident Nizar Zakka is being denied medical attention in Evin Prison despite being told by his doctor that he may be suffering from colon cancer, his US-based lawyer told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
Zakka’s attorney, Jason Poblete, also told CHRI that Zakka and his American cellmate, Xiyue Wang, believe prison staff members are drugging their food to make them sleepy. “A few weeks ago, Nizar was diagnosed by an Iranian doctor hired by the family with colon cancer,” Poblete told CHRI on February 5, 2018. “He needs a colonoscopy to confirm the diagnosis, but the Iranian government will not allow it.” “Before France’s President Macron goes to Iran, indeed any foreign leader goes to Iran, they should demand the release of Nizar Zakka and all unjustly detained persons from all affected nations,” said Poblete. The French president is expected to visit Iran in early March. Political prisoners in Iran, including elderly inmates, are singled out for harsh treatment, which often includes denial of medical care. The threat of withheld medical care has also been used as an intimidation tool against prisoners who have challenged the authorities or filed complaints. In 2016, political prisoner Omid Kokabee was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer after years of repeatedly being denied treatment for his symptoms. Former political prisoner Alireza Rajaee, a journalist, lost part of his face to sinus cancer that he says was left untreated while he was in Evin Prison. “I just learned today that Nizar was taken to the Evin clinic for oxygen because he may have bronchitis or some other ailment that is impeding his ability to breath easily. However, no doctors or dentists. He was also coughing up blood,” Poblete told CHRI. Zakka, a Lebanese-born information technology expert and internet freedom advocate, was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Intelligence Organization in September 2015 in Iran while visiting as an official guest of the government to attend a conference on women and sustainable development. In September 2016, Zakka was issued a 10-year prison sentence and $4.2 million fine for unspecified espionage charges. An Appeals Court upheld the sentence in August 2016. “We do not know how exactly or how many times the Iranians have placed substances in his food, but he believes it has happened many times before,” Poblete told CHRI. “This most recent incident, both he and Mr. Wang were extremely tired, for several days they slept after eating the same thing.” Poblete added that the authorities are refusing to give Zakka warm clothing sent by his family for the winter months. “The Iranians have refused deliveries of gloves, hats, or other warm clothing that the family wants to deliver to him,” he said. “Nizar has not seen the sun for months.” “In addition to robbing him of his liberty, they are slowly destroying his health,” added Poblete. “Nizar is extremely ill and requires advanced medical care outside of Iran; he should be released immediately. Evin Prison officials are using medicine as a weapon; their cruelty knows no bounds.” Zakka’s cellmate, Xiyue Wang, is a Princeton University PhD student who was conducting research at a state archive in Tehran when he was arrested in August 2016. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in July 2017. An Appeals Court upheld the sentence in August 2017. At least 12 dual and foreign nationals and foreign permanent residents are being held in Iranian prisons. In November 2017, Reuters reported that at least 30 dual nationals had been arrested by the IRGC since the signing of the nuclear deal in July 2015. The original article can be found here. Statement on the Continued Unlawful Detention of Internet Freedom Advocate Nizar Zakka
The following statement was issued on behalf of Mr. Nizar Zakka’s family by Mr. Zakka’s lawyer in the United States, Mr. Jason Poblete, on January 26, 2018.
“Mr. Javad Zarif you have said that what happened with Nizar is “not a problem between Iran and Lebanon…and the problem is actually between the United States and Iran.” What does this mean Mr. Zarif? While your government and the Americans discuss the “problem,” Nizar remains seriously ill in Evin Prison. UPDATE 20- Zakka Family Sta... by pobletetamargo on Scribd
Iran is a party to the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages; In a letter dated October 25, 2017, to U.N. Secretary General Guterres, we outlined the obligations of the United Nations and urged Secretary General Guterres to personally intercede to help Nizar and others unjustly detained in Iran.
International Convention Ag... by pobletetamargo on Scribd
Mr. Zakka traveled to Iran in September 2015, at the invitation of Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi, to speak at a conference on the use of technology and the Internet to promote social, economic, and educational development in the region. After the conference, en route to the airport, Mr. Zakka was taken by persons believed to be associated with the IRGC’s Basij or the intelligence services.
Mr. Zakka has been denied the right to review the charges or evidence against him and his lawyers have not been allowed to mount a proper defense. Despite the ordeal, including psychological and physical torture, Nizar has maintained his innocence.
Prior Statements and Releases
The following editorial was published in The Daily Star on December 13, 2017. Written by the son of U.S. legal permanent resident and internet freedom advocate Nizar Zakka, it appeals to Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil for failing to act.
The Daily Star (Lebanon) – 13 Dec 2017 – NADIM ZAKKA Nadim Zakka is the son of Lebanese citizen and permanent U.S. resident Nizar Zakka, who has been held in Iran since traveling to a state-sponsored conference in Tehran in 2015. Today my family and I feel betrayed, and my father feels left behind. For two years we have been begging the Lebanese government and its ministries to act appropriately to Nizar Zaakar’s situation, though all we saw from our Foreign Ministry is unprecedented unprofessionalism. Optimistic yet naively I believed in the Lebanese establishment to only realize that our foreign minister has the time to travel the world to gather votes, but could not take the initiative to even secure the well-being of my father. There was a time I felt pride being Lebanese, though as I experienced first hand the neglect and incompetence of our officials I felt nothing but shame in my identity. Gebran Bassil, minister of foreign relations, you knew my father yet you do not speak. You were friends with Nizar yet you did not move. When you were minister of communication, IJMA3, the NGO that my father ran, hired and paid for all your advisers based on your request, yet you are silent. In fact, two months before his kidnapping, IJMA3 donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in provisions, to your NGO “Batrouniyat,” yet your ministry has no shame in avoiding Nizar’s friends and family. Those are just a few of countless ways he has attempted to help the people of Lebanon through IJMA3 and development work. Though when it comes to favors, Gebran, you have no shame in asking my dad for countless courtesies. And in return, he has never asked for anything from you. Gebran, until this day I am not asking you to do me a favor, a courtesy or even an act of kindness, I am telling you that it is about time for you to do your job. You have failed to provide a Lebanese citizen with the basic human rights described in the Vienna Convention and also in the Geneva Convention. You have failed to take the proper measures, to ensure my father’s safety and well-being, just as well you have ignored international protocol. For the most part I am astonished how a so-called Lebanese security agency cannot lift a finger to get a Lebanese hostage home, while on the other hand jumping through hoops trying to secure the release of an Iranian mercenary’s body, who undoubtedly came illegally, without any sort of invitation, and bearing arms. We have reached a point where we do not understand who represents the interests of the Lebanese people. When you are employed by the Lebanese government, when you are getting paid by the Lebanese people, you owe it to the Lebanese people to do your job. Finally, I clarify that I have not shared with you all the suffering that our Foreign Ministry has made us go through, and I will hold my tongue a little longer with the knowledge that it’s time for our ministry and our minister to act. Nadim Zakka is the son of Lebanese citizen and permanent U.S. resident Nizar Zaakar, who has been held in Iran since traveling to a state-sponsored conference in Tehran in 2015. The original article can be found here. The family of U.S. Legal Permanent Resident and Internet Freedom Advocate Nizar Zakka, who is currently imprisoned in Tehran, have taken Mr. Zakka’s case to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The Daily Star, a publication which reports on Lebanese and regional news, published the following article on November 29, discussing these developments. Zakka Takes Case to UN Human Rights CommissionThe Daily Star
November 29, 2017 BEIRUT: Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese national imprisoned in Tehran, has taken his case to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. According to a statement released by Zakka’s family Wednesday, they filed an objection regarding Iran’s human rights violations to the UNHCHR, which works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law. Zakka was arrested after traveling to Iran to attend a state-sponsored conference in Tehran in 2015. At the time of his arrest, he was the secretary-general of IJMA3, the Arab Information and Communications Technology Organization. “It baffles us how something like this is permitted to happen, when a country can pick and choose its hostages from anywhere in the world without any consequences,” the family wrote. The family also blasted the Lebanese government in the statement for “completely ignoring” Zakka’s case “for two years now.” Despite repeated calls by the United States and Zakka’s family members for Zakka’s release, the Lebanese government has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. In remarks by Zakka – a permanent resident of the United States – conveyed in the statement, the detainee “asked if the Lebanese state was not ashamed after the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate moved in favor of his case while his own country is still refusing to do anything to free him.” Read More
Last week attorneys with the Global Rule of Law and Liberty Legal Defense Fund (Fund) were contacted by Nicaraguan attorneys and civil society leaders about an incident of violence associated with local elections in the municipality of Jalapa of Nueva Segovia. You can read about the matter here.
According to local leaders who contacted the Fund, authorities are using the color of law “as a weapon to intimidate residents and finish consummating fraud in the recent municipal elections.” Mr. Nelson Cortez, attorney for three of the ten civil society leaders being unlawfully detained or pursued by Nicaraguan officials issued a statement after judicial proceedings were allegedly postponed because of a power failure. Fund Attorneys will continue to monitor the situation as well as support. Mr. Cortez and other members of the defense team. Mr. Cortez’s video statement is embedded below: The following is a Thanksgiving Day message to his family, friends, and other supporters from Mr. Nizar Zakka, a hostage being held in Iran’s Evin Prison: Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends and the American people for their support, without their support I would have never been able to survive this mental torture that is being inflicted on me by these terrorists that have kidnapped and took me hostage for almost 800 days now, and has kept me away from my family on this special day. |
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