Dear Colleagues, One of our international colleagues with whom we have been collaborating, attending ICT and Internet Governance forums, Mr. Nizar Zakka disapperaed in Iran about 6 months ago. Nizar is a director in WITSA and Regional Vice Chairman for MENA. On September 11, 2015, he received an official invitation from the Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran to attend a conference on Role of “Women in Sustainable Development - Entrepreneurship and Employment” in Tehran, where he was invited as a speaker, being an expert in ICT for Development. After the conference, as he was departing for the airport, on September 18th, to return back to Lebanon, he was held by Iranian security agents. Since then, he has been detained in Evin prison and to our knowledge, without due process, legal representation, or visitation from the Lebanese embassy in Iran, which are considered basic human rights and preserved under the Vienna Convention, of which Iran is a signatory. Apparently, Mr Zakka was also not allowed to be seen by his lawyer. More than six months have passed and we have indications that his health is faltering. Mr. Zakka started a hunger strike on March 13, 2016. I wanted to let you know about an important iPetition to free Mr. Nizar Zakka that has been brought to my attention by Mr. Salam Al Waeli, Director of Programs at the Arab ICT Organization (iJMA3). Anyone can sign this petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/free-nizar-zakka. A Nizar Zakka Supporters page is also available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nizarzakkasupporters/timeline. Additional posts about Nizar can be found at https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freenizarzakka?source=feed_text&story_id=10153692868517909.
