The Lebanese president Michel Aoun had sent a request to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani requesting the release of American-Lebanese national Nizar Zakka, who was arrested in Tehran back in 2015, charged with spying for US intelligence services and army.
Michel Aoun met with Nizar Zakka at the presidential palace in Baabda, in the suburb of Beirut hours after he arrived in Beirut from Tehran along with head of Lebanese General Security and special envoy to Iran Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.
Zakka left Tehran on a private jet on Tuesday afternoon with Maj Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who had travelled to the Iranian capital on Sunday.
During the meeting with Zakka, President Aoun expressed his happiness with his release and thanked President Hassan Rouhani for responding positively to his request.
According to the spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council Keivan Khosravi on Tue., Zakka’s release came in response to the Lebanese president’s request and Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah’s mediation.
Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who was also present in the meeting with the Lebanese president said that the release was due to the intervention of President Aoun.
According to documents and evidence submitted by the Iranian security apparatuses to the court, Nizar Zakka had worked for the American intelligence services for which he had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
KI/IRN83350951