The family of Amer Fakhoury, a former American prisoner in Lebanon, has decided to sue Iran after his death from an illness contracted during his imprisonment under orders from Hezbollah, according to the family.
According to a report published by Fox News on Wednesday, Fakhoury’s family, from New Hampshire, claims he was imprisoned and tortured in extremely poor conditions without any medical care in 2019, where he developed cancer. He returned to the United States in very poor health and passed away in June 2020.
Fakhoury was arrested in September 2019 while visiting Lebanon, where he was forced to sign forged papers and documents under duress and torture. Following pressure from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and intervention from Senator Jeanne Shaheen, he was transferred to a Lebanese military prison and allowed to meet with his lawyer, revealing he had suffered broken ribs from severe beatings, according to the Amer Fakhoury Foundation's website.
During the two months of harsh conditions he faced in prison, Fakhoury lost about 40 kilograms, becoming severely ill, and suffered from stomach pain without being allowed treatment.
At the end of November, Fakhoury was transferred to a military hospital, where he was diagnosed with lymphoma associated with Epstein-Barr virus, which progressed to stage four due to a lack of proper medical care. In March 2020, Fakhoury was released after "significant pressure" from the United States, but passed away five months after returning home due to complications from cancer.
His family indicated they are suing Iran for "unlawful detention," adding, "When Fakhoury was in prison, the Lebanese prosecutor informed him that Hezbollah wanted him incarcerated and they couldn’t do anything about it."
In an email to Fox News, the family stated, "Lebanon is currently under Iranian occupation. The terrorist group funded by Iran controls all institutions of the Lebanese government. The death of our father was a direct result of the torture and mistreatment he endured in Lebanese general security, at the hands of members of Hezbollah."
They added that their initial lawsuit is against Iran, followed by lawsuits against Lebanese officials and security officers involved in the torture and death of American citizen Amer Fakhoury.
