Ibrahim Heads to Iran for Zakka Release Arrangements
General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Sunday left for Tehran to follow up on ongoing preparations to release from prison Lebanese citizen and U.S. green card holder Nizar Zakka, the security agency said.
Zakka is serving a 10-year sentence on espionage charges.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday confirmed that Tehran is considering Zakka’s release.
It quoted Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying that authorities were conducting a "special review" of the request by Zakka and "Lebanese political officials," without elaborating.
Zakka is a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocated for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was arrested in September 2015.
The request could be part of a Lebanese effort to ease recent tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Source: Naharnet, Associated Press
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