Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Nazanin could be home for daughter’s birthday
Husband hoping for positive call today
NAZANIN Zaghari-ratcliffe is clinging to the hope she could be home for her daughter’s sixth birthday as she waits to hear if she will be pardoned by Iran today.
The British mum, on temporary release from prison in Tehran and under lockdown at her parents’ home, hoped she would hear on Wednesday if she had been granted clemency.
Iran’s supreme leader announced last week there would be more than 3,000 prisoners pardoned to coincide with Eid, but the news she was free to return to daughter Gabriella and husband Richard in London failed to come.
Charity worker Nazanin, 42, will call officials today to discover whether her lawyer or father should report to the prosecutor’s office to learn if she is to be released after four years in prison.
Mr Ratcliffe said: “Nazanin’s having lots of dreams of being lost and unable to get home, unable to reach out to people nearby who walk away. This is a really practised game of cat and mouse they play with prisoners, I hope we really are at the end of it.
“Gabriella isn’t so aware, there’s hope for her birthday.”
Nazanin was at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport with Gabriella, who turns six on June 11, when she was held under false spying charges in April 2016. She was sentenced to five years, but was released temporarily on March 17 to her parents’ home after Covid-19 hit Evin prison.
But she can video-call her family who returned to Britain so Gabriella could start school. Mr Ratcliffe said: “By law, they have to grant it. But the law hasn’t been so binding for IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] actions in our case.
“I suspect it’s a stand-off with parts of the judiciary who want to uphold the law, and the IRGC who haven’t finished using her as a bargaining chip.”
Nazanin’s supporters claim she is being held because of historical unpaid arms debts of £400million by the UK.
If good news does not come, Mr Ratcliffe wants the British ambassador to visit her. He has refused to do so far. He added: “It’s a really weak signal the Government will actually stand up for Nazanin or others.”
ON WIFE’S POSSIBLE RELEASE