Nizar Zakka Exposes Iran’s Hostage Diplomacy

Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese national and US permanent resident was arrested in Iran in 2015, and accused of spying for the US. He was released in 2019 after the intervention of the Lebanese president. Zakka spoke to IOHR about Iran’s systematic incarceration of dual-citizens and how the regime uses them as bargaining chips for political gains. As of September, there are around 14 dual and foreign nationals jailed in Iran.