Families of dual-citizen prisoners in Iran announce establishment of new organization
Families of dual-nationality prisoners and foreign prisoners in Iran announced the formation of a new group on Tuesday.
According to Hanna Kaviani, a correspondent for Radio Farda sent to the UN General Assembly in New York, at a meeting held by some of these families in New York City, the UN headquarters, they announced that they wanted to use this alliance to call on governments and the UN to work for the release of these prisoners.
This meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese prisoner in Iran who was released in June, also told Radio Farda that forming a coalition of families would help create "a single voice": "It is very important that everyone has one voice, because the other side wants us to be separated."
"We want governments to speak with one voice and tell the IRGC and the Iranian government that what they are doing is unacceptable. They should not be taking people hostage. We have human rights. These people should be able to return to their homes," says Mr. Zakka.
Among the participants in Tuesday's meeting were the husband of Iranian-British prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and the son and brother of Iranian-American citizens Bagher and Siamak Namazi, who spoke during the press conference.
Richard Ratcliffe, Babak Namazi, and one of the children of Robert Levinson, who disappeared after a trip to Iran, announced that they had been trying to meet with President Hassan Rouhani or one of the officials of the Iranian delegation in New York in recent days.
However, according to the families of the dual-nationality prisoners, their request has not been granted.
Mr. Rouhani, his Foreign Minister, and their accompanying delegation have traveled to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Yesterday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a meeting with Hassan Rouhani, asked him to facilitate the release of Nazanin Zaghari and other dual nationals imprisoned in Iran.
US officials have also repeatedly called for the release of their citizens.
Source: Radio Farda
