Woman detained in Tehran, husband pleads with London to protect her

The husband of a Iranian-British detainee in Iran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been notified of a new charge, pleads with the British authorities to “do everything to protect her”, starting by attending her trial on Sunday.

“It is important for the British Government to do everything to protect it,” Richard Ratcliffe asked in a statement, “starting with the British Embassy, ​​insisting on attending the Nazanin trial on Sunday and for the UK’s diplomatic protection to be treated with respect “.

Employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation – philanthropic branch of the Canadian-British news agency of the same name -, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained with her daughter in April 2016 in Iran, where she had visited the family.

Accused of having sought to overthrow the Iranian regime, which she denies, she was sentenced to five years in prison in September of the same year. In the spring he managed to get a temporary release from Evin prison in Tehran due to the new coronavirus pandemic and was under house arrest with an electronic bracelet.

On Tuesday, has been notified of a new charge, according to Iranian state television, which did not specify what blame is attributed to it.

“When we thought we were close to a release in recent months, Nazanin was brought before the Revolutionary Court yesterday for a second trial. The trial takes place on Sunday,” wrote the husband, who lives in London with his daughter.

The new charge was considered “unjustifiable” by London.

“Presenting the new charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is unjustifiable and unacceptable. We have always maintained that she should not be returned to prison,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

Richard Ratcliffe insists that “the case is illegal under Iranian law, as well as the fact that Nazarin was not released in March”, when tens of thousands of people were able to leave the overcrowded Iranian prisons after the covid-19 pandemic began.

The husband considers his wife to be a “hostage” to Tehran, who uses her as a means of pressure to demand London to pay an old British debt.

The British daily “Guardian” reported on Friday that UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace had first acknowledged that he was “actively” trying to repay that debt to allow the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other Iranian detainees- British people.

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