Peaceful demonstrations were held in the cities of Lafia, Katsina, Gombe, and Kadunawith protesters carrying posters of the cleric and other Muslims killed or detained by the Nigerian army.
They also urged the government to set Zakzaky free, denouncingthe imprisonment of the Shia cleric and a large number of his followers as a violation of the Nigerian constitution.
Nigerian soldiers attacked Shia Muslims attending a ceremony at a religious center in the city of Zaria on December 12 last year, accusing them of blocking the convoy of the armys chief of staff and attempting to assassinate him.
The following day, Nigerian forces raided Zakzakys home and arrested him after reportedly killing those attempting to protect him, including one of IMN's senior leaders and its spokesman.
Both incidents led to the deaths of hundreds of members of the religious community, including three of Zakzakys sons. Human rights organizations have urged a full investigation into the deadly assaults.
The clergyman is said to have been charged with "criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbances."
Human Rights Watch believes at least 300 people were killed in the attacks, while Amnesty International puts the figure at hundreds, describing the Nigerian armys violations as shocking.
The London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) saysthere is credible evidence of mass graves in Nigeria following the attacks.
The rights group added that the Nigerian military hassecretly buried hundreds of bodies in massgraves after storming the house of the Shia cleric.
By Press TV
