Family of jailed mum take letter to Iranian minister

THE family of a British mother kept in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons have delivered a letter to an Iranian minister on his visit to the UK.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 39, was jailed in 2016 and was given a fiveyear prison sentence at Evin Prison after she was accused of working to overthrow the Iranian government.

At the time of her arrest, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was visiting her parents in Iran with her daughter Gabriella, who remains in the country with her mother’s parents.

Despite efforts by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who visited Iran to negotiate with the authorities after making a catastrophic blunder by remarking to a committee of MPs that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was “training journalists” during her visit to Iran, there has been no news on whether he sentence will be cut short.

Her family, including sister-in-law Rebecca Jones who lives in Cardiff, say that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s psychological condition is worsening as a result of her captivity, with nightmares and panic attacks affecting her health.

Yesterday, Nazanin’s husband Richard Ratcliffe delivered a letter to Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for his visit to the Iranian Foreign Ministry in London, calling on the Iranian government to reopen his wife’s case.

Campaigners also handed over an Amnesty petition with 100,000 signatures calling on the Iranian government to release Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and letters to her from Amnesty supporters after they were sent back from Evin Prison.

Mr Ratcliffe said: “Today’s event might be seen as provocative, but it is not intended to be. It is a chance for the Iranian government to affirm its humanitarian credentials.

“We are delivering messages from ordinary Amnesty groups – some of the most precious of the messages that were returned.

“I have been frustrated over the months by the lack of accountability of the Iranian government, the fact they have never thought it necessary to meet, all the time Nazanin and Gabriella were detained or threatened with it.

“I have been frustrated by what has felt like games – all the while Nazanin continues to be in prison. But now is an opportunity – the Judiciary have said the case is finally in the Foreign Ministry’s hands. So I am hoping to hear – what is keeping Nazanin inside?”

“Given the wider deterioration for a number of dual nationals and for some of Nazanin’s fellow prisoners, it is increasingly important that the Foreign Ministry solves her case before the wider situation causes hers also to deteriorate.”

During the last week, Nazanin’s lawyer was told that the Iranian government would offer to move Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her daughter Gabriella to house arrest in a specially guarded house while diplomatic discussions continue, but her family said this was not an option as they were unwilling to put Gabriella under armed guard.