Nigerian Cleric Sheikh Zakzaky to Arrive in Tehran Wednesday
The Shia cleric and his wife will arrive at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini (RA) International Airport on Wednesday, Head of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Massoud Shajareh said.
He told IQNA that a group of students from Tehran’s universities will welcome them in a ceremony at the airport.
Shajareh, who for years sought to ensure the release of the pair and medical treatment for them noted that Sheikh Zakzaky lost one of his eyes when Nigerian army forces raided his home years ago.
He said tens of bullets still remain in his body and there are also signs of lead poisoning in his blood.
His wife, Mallimah Zeenat, also has severe knee pain and cannot walk, he added.
As the conditions were not suitable for continuation of their medical treatment in Nigeria, the ground was prepared for their trip to Iran for medical treatment, Shajareh noted.
He said several programs are planned to be held during their stay in Iran and Sheikh Zakzaky is also scheduled to receive an honorary PhD at the University of Tehran.
In December 2015, Nigeria’s military launched a crackdown as part of a deadly state-ordered escalation targeting the movement that Abuja has branded as illegal.
The campaign saw the troops attacking Zakzaky’s residence in the town of Zaria in Kaduna, afflicting him and his wife with serious injuries that reportedly caused the cleric to lose his left eye.
During the crackdown, the military also attacked the movement’s members as they were holding religious processions, with the government alleging that the Muslims had blocked a convoy of the country’s defense minister.
The movement has categorically rejected the allegation, and said the convoy had intentionally crossed paths with the IMN’s members to whip up an excuse to attack them.
The violence led to the death of three of Zakzaky’s sons and more than 300 of his followers.
The couple were kept in custody for years despite a 2016 ruling by Nigeria’s federal high court that ordered their release from prison.
Amid the long-drawn-out jail term, the couple were allowed to leave for India for medical purposes. Their stay was, however, reportedly plagued by the state’s interference aimed at preventing them from receiving proper medical treatment.
The couple’s freedom came in July 2021 following tireless activism on the part of Nigeria’s Shia faithful and repeated damning reports about their situation by international human rights bodies.
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