The Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom issued a statement condemning the unlawful detention of Nigerian Shi’ah leader, Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky. RNA – The Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom issued a statement condemning the illegal imprisonment of Nigerian Shi’ah leader, Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky.
Hujjat al-Islam Zakzaky, who is in his mid-sixties, has been under arrest since December 2015, when his home in the town of Zaria was raided by Nigerian forces in a deadly incident during which he was beaten and lost his left eye.
Three of his sons were killed, his wife sustained serious wounds and more than 300 of his followers lost their lives.
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) regularly take to the streets of Abuja and several other cities to call for the release of Hujjat al-Islam Zakzaky.
Nigerian authorities have transferred him and his wife, Zinat, to a dilapidated prison, where many detainees have so far died due to lack of medical care.
The text of the statement is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
According to some news reports, Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky has been transferred to another prison despite the deterioration of his physical condition. While we express our grave concern over his health, we consider the responsibility for the delay in the treatment and treatment of Shaykh Zakzaky and his unlawful detention as the concern of the Nigerian government.
It is necessary for the Nigerian government to provide this religious leader with the necessary medical and healthcare services by ending the current situation and removing the illegitimate restrictions on this religious leader. It is not appropriate for a government that claims to be free and committed to the rights of its citizens to persecute anyone to such a degree who only wants good for the country and the people of Nigeria.
The Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom calls on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs [Mohammad-Javad Zarif], to address the situation of this compassionate scholar with all the diplomatic capacities of Iran, Islamic countries and the international community. The Nigerian authorities must address the pessimism and oppressive limitations and immediately address his physical condition and remove the limitations on him. Undoubtedly, the continuation of this illegal confrontation which took place in the form of a violent and defensive approach is not deserving of him and his companions.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be with you,
Mohammad Yazdi
Head of the Supreme Council of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom
Rasa News Agency
112/976