Iran Summons Nigerian Envoy over Sheikh Zakzaky’s Health

RNA - The Foreign Ministry summoned Nigeria’s chargé d'affaires to Iran on Monday to voice Tehran’s concern over the worsening health condition of the Sheikh Zakzaky.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi announced the summoning on Monday, describing Zakzaki as a “erudite and distinguished figure”.

“We hope that the efforts that are being taken [towards bettering Mr. Zakzaky’s condition] yield result and he recovers his health,” Mousavi said.

The 66-year-old leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has been in detention since December 2015 following a crackdown by Nigerian forces against the African nation’s Muslim community.

He has reportedly sustained serious injury resulting from brutal treatment by security forces that has cost him his left eye.

According to Fars News Agency, the crackdown also took the lives of three of his sons and 300 of his followers.

In 2016, Nigeria’s federal high court ordered Zakzaky’s unconditional release from jail following a trial.

However, he was charged in April 2018 with murder, culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of public peace, and other accusations. He has pleaded not guilty.

Most recently, the son of Sheikh Zakzaky revealed that a recently collected blood sample from the cleric contains a high level of toxic substances, adding that the authorities of Abuja are determined to murder his father.

On Saturday, the son of Sheikh Zakzaky warned about the deteriorating health of the 66-year-old cleric, who has been held in detention along with his wife for more than three years.

Mohammad Zakzaky said that he was shocked by his father’s worsening medical condition after visiting him, stressing that he needed to be immediately hospitalized as “large and dangerous quantities of lead and cadmium have been found in his blood”.

Mohammad said the Nigerian authorities had not taken any action so far, and that they intend to murder his father.

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