British woman in jail in Iran thanks UK supporters Poland’s young opposition party changes leader to mend image

A British woman jailed in Iran has spoken from prison to thank Britons trying to get her released.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe spoke to supporters at a London rally Saturday through a telephone and loudspeaker.

She said that “I’m so grateful for everybody’s support and love,” adding that her only goal is to return home to be with her family.

The 38-year-old charity worker is a dual British-Iranian citizen who has been in prison in Iran since April 2016 after being accused of plotting against Iran’s government.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has complicated matters by saying incorrectly that she was training journalists when arrested. He has since apologized and plans to travel to Iran to secure her release.

The founder and leader of Poland’s junior opposition party Modern has lost his top position as the party seeks to boost its image and standing.

In a close vote Saturday, the party’s national convention chose prominent member Katarzyna Lubnauer to replace economist Ryszard Petru, who founded the party before the 2015 election in which it won 28 seats in the 460-member parliament.

But it then failed to grow under Petru’s leadership and got involved in a bitter rivalry with the main opposition party, Civic Platform. Petru was also absent at some crucial political moments.

— The Associated Press