Associated Press: Years of Imprisonment and Billions in Fines for Lebanese Prisoner in Iran

The Associated Press reported in an exclusive report on Tuesday that Nizar Zaka, a Lebanese citizen imprisoned in Iran, has been sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of $4.2 million (nearly 15 billion tomans). This news agency reported on Tuesday, September 30, citing Jason Poblete, an American lawyer and representative of Nizar Zaka, that this 60-page ruling was issued in a closed court presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, but Zaka's supporters have not yet been able to see it. Iranian media have not yet published any news regarding the prison sentence and fine imposed on Nizar Zaka. David Ramadan, a former Virginia legislator and a member of Zaka's support group, stated on Tuesday, "Iran shows no respect for any of its international requests, international agreements, or international relations." The prison sentence and fine for this Lebanese citizen come as Amnesty International criticized the trial process of Nizar Zaka on Friday, September 26, stating that he was only able to meet with his defense attorney in a limited manner before the trial and that his trial lasted only two sessions. According to Amnesty International, Nizar Zaka has been accused of "espionage and collaborating with a hostile government." Zaka's family has denied this accusation. In addition to his Lebanese citizenship, Nizar Zaka is a permanent resident of the United States and lived in Washington before his arrest in Iran. He is an information and communications technology expert and worked for a non-profit information technology organization in Washington. This Lebanese citizen was arrested on September 18 of last year (September 27, 1394 in the Persian calendar) during his fifth trip to Iran by security agents in Tehran and has been in Evin prison since then. Amnesty International warned on September 26 about the health condition of Nizar Zaka, a Lebanese citizen imprisoned in Iran, and called for him to have access to medical facilities. The statement indicated that if this Lebanese citizen does not receive medical care, his physical condition will deteriorate. Amnesty International reported that Nizar Zaka suffers from severe back pain and gastrointestinal distress, and according to his family, he has become very weak and has lost significant weight. Iranian media reported on November 12 of last year about the arrest of Nizar Zaka. Prior to that, there were reports of the disappearance of this Lebanese citizen after his attendance at an information technology conference in Tehran on September 24, 1394, stating that he had gone to Tehran at the invitation of Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, to participate in the "Second International Exhibition and Conference on Women's Role in Sustainable Development" on the topic of "Entrepreneurship and Job Creation." In recent months, several dual citizens have been arrested and imprisoned in Iran. Nazanin Zaghari, a British-Iranian citizen, Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian-Iranian citizen, Reza Shahini, an Iranian-American citizen, and Siamak Namazi and his father Baqer Namazi, Iranian-American citizens, are among these individuals. In recent months, several human rights organizations and some Western countries have called on Iranian officials to release these individuals. In this context, there have been conflicting reports about the "arrest" of a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, and the Inspection Organization has called for the "expulsion of dual citizens from executive bodies." A judicial official in East Azerbaijan reported the arrest of six members of a "spy ring" in Tabriz. Amnesty International has warned about the situation of the Lebanese citizen imprisoned in Iran.