Nizar Zakka "Celebrates" 2nd Birthday as a Hostage in Iran

  WASHINGTON, DC - 11/05/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

The following statement was issued on 4 November 2016 by Mr. Nizar Zakka’s attorney in the United States, Jason I. Poblete:

“37 years ago today students chanting “Death to America” acting on orders of radical Iranian clerics took 52 Americans hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The ordeal would last 444 days and would mark the beginning of the regime's war against "the Great Satan" and its people.

“The regime has not changed its ways. It continues to use innocent civilians such as Mr. Nizar Zakka to exact political and economic concessions from the United States and other nations. Today marks the second birthday that Mr. Zakka spends in Iran's notorious Evin prison as a hostage of the terrorist regime. He should be celebrating his life with his family. Instead, he is dying in captivity as his health continues to deteriorate.

“On behalf of Nizar and his family, we request that more be done to secure his unconditional release from captivity on humanitarian grounds. To that end, until this happens, we have urged senior Members of Congress to press the Obama administration to re-impose certain economic sanctions as well as deny OFAC authorizations for certain export of U.S. goods and services to Iran.

“Iranians celebrated the 37th anniversary of Embassy seizure and hostage taking by chanting "Death to America." But for Nizar and others, it may mean the death of Americans without swift action to secure their unconditional release. Nizar remains hopeful that this ordeal will soon come to an end and looks forward freedom again.”

Prior statements and information on Mr. Zakka's case, including Amnesty International Urgent Action reports, are available here as well as at the PT Law YouTube Zakka playlist.