SHAFAQNA- Iqna: On Tuesday, a group of the supporters of Nigerian Shia cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky held a rally in the country’s capital of Abuja.
The demonstrators called for the release of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Zakzaky has been in detention since December 2015 after his residence in the city of Zaria was raided by Nigeria’s forces, during which he was beaten and lost vision in his left eye.
During the brutal arrest, three of his sons were also killed, his wife sustained serious wounds, and more than 300 of his followers were killed.
Zakzaky was charged in April 2018 with murder, culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of public peace, and other accusations. He has pleaded not guilty, vehemently rejecting all accusations brought up against him.
Recent reports said that his health has been deteriorating, but prison authorities have prevented him from getting much-needed treatment.
In 2016, Nigeria’s federal high court ordered Zakzaky’s unconditional release from jail following a trial, but the government has so far refused to set him free.
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