The lawyer of a Lebanese man held in Iran since 2015 says his client has ended a 33-day hunger strike.
Majed Dimashkiyeh sent The Associated Press a letter from Nizar Zakka announcing an end to his hunger strike following a request from his children.
Zakka, who has permanent U.S. residency, went missing in 2015, during his fifth trip to Iran. Two weeks later, Iranian state TV reported that he was in custody and suspected of having “deep links” to U.S. intelligence services.
Last September, Zakka was sentenced to 10 years in prison and handed a $4.2 million fine after a security court convicted him of espionage.
Zakka’s family and his supporters have been pressing the U.S. government to become more active in trying to obtain his release, arguing that his arrest was due to his ties to America.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives finally issued last month a resolution calling for Zakka’s release.
The Associated Press
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
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