MEDIA ADVISORY - Son of Hostage in Iran Nizar Zakka, Omar Zakka, Will Testify in Congress

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will be holding a hearing, "Held for Ransom: The Families of Iran’s Hostages Speak Out" to discuss American citizens and U.S. Legal Permanent Residents being held hostage by Iran.

The son of Nizar Zakka, Omar Zakka, will testify in Congress today. Mr. Nizar Zakka’s youngest son, Mr. Omar Zakka, will represent his father this afternoon during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

For the details of today's hearing see the Media Advisory below.

When: TODAY, Tuesday, July 25, 3:00 PM (EST)

Where: House Foreign Affairs Committee, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Details: In addition to Omar Zakka, the following persons will also testify: Babak Namazi, son of Baquer Namazi and brother of Siamak Namazi, as well as Douglas Levinson, son of Robert Levinson. Visit the House Foreign Affairs Committee website for more information.

Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, released the following statement on today's hearing; 

“Iran has made it a practice to take American citizens and legal permanent residents as hostages in an effort to exact political and financial concessions. Since the Obama administration paid Iran a $1.7 billion settlement, the Iranian regime has arrested and tried under trumped up charges Siamak and Baquer Namazi, Nizar Zakka, and others. This tactic has caused a great amount of fear and pain for the families and loved ones of these Americans and U.S. legal permanent residents. This hearing is an opportunity for our subcommittee to hear from some of the families themselves the circumstances surrounding their loved ones’ cases. It is also an opportunity to hear from the family of Robert Levinson – the longest held civilian hostage in America’s history – who went missing in Iran in 2007 and has yet to be reunited with his family, despite repeated pledges by the regime to assist in his case.”