510 King Street, Suite 350

Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314
P 703.566.3037

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, November 4, 2016

CONTACT: Ms. Cara Di Silvio

+1.703.566.3037

Statement on the Continued Unlawful Detention of Nizar Zakka

Nizar Celebrates 2d Birthday as a Hostage in Iran
The following statement was issued by Mr. Nizar Zakkas attorney in
the United States, Mr. 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.
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ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA + CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA