BEIRUT: Lebanon is calling on Iran to use the upcoming holy month of Ramadan to grant amnesty to a Lebanese citizen who is also a US resident imprisoned there for more than three years.
The appeal for the release of Nizar Zakka came Friday in a letter sent by Lebanon’s Foreign Minister to his Iranian counterpart. The letter was delivered to the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon.
Zakka, a US permanent resident, is an advocate for Internet freedom and has done some work for the US government. He has been imprisoned in Iran since his arrest in September 2015 while attending a state-sponsored conference. He was sentenced to 10 years on espionage-related charges.
In 2017, Zakka went on a hunger strike for over a month calling for his release.
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Lebanon calls on Iran to release citizen who is US resident
Lebanon calls on Iran to release citizen who is US resident
- Lebanon’s Foreign Minister appealed for Nizar Zakka's release in a letter to his Iranian counterpart
Italy urges its citizens to leave Iran, be vigilant across Middle East
- The ministry said travel to Iraq and Lebanon was also strongly discouraged
- It advised Italian nationals in Israel to exercise maximum caution
ROME: Italy’s foreign ministry on Friday urged its citizens to leave Iran and advised extreme caution across the Middle East, citing persistently unstable security conditions.
“Italians in (Iran) for tourism or whose presence is not strictly necessary are urged to depart,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that travel to Iraq and Lebanon was also strongly discouraged.
It advised Italian nationals in Israel to exercise maximum caution and remain vigilant.
Several governments have issued similar warnings in recent days. Britain said on Friday it had temporarily withdrawn its staff from Iran and closed its embassy amid rising regional tensions.
The United States has built up a large military presence across the Middle East ahead of a possible strike on Iran, as talks between the two countries over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions continue with no sign of a breakthrough.
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