US resident gets 10-year Iran prison sentence
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. permanent resident detained for a year in Iran over spying allegations has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine, his supporters said Tuesday, the latest move in a crackdown on those with foreign ties following last year’s nuclear deal.
The sentence for Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen who advocates for internet freedom and whose non-profit group did work for the U.S. government, comes as Iranian officials attend the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York.
It also shows the challenge faced by Western governments and those wanting warmer ties with Iran, where hard-liners in the security forces and judiciary target dual nationals and others in secret trials.
“There’s no regard for any international order, any international agreement or any international state of relations that they care about,” said David Ramadan, a former Virginia state legislator who co-founded a group called Friends of Nizar Zakka.