Treatment of jailed British mother in Iran ‘torture’
Campaigners have submitted her case to the UN special rapporteur on torture
A British-Iranian mother jailed in Iran for nearly two years has been subjected to “psychological abuse” that meets United Nations’ criteria for torture.
Campaigners working on behalf of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, arrested in April 2016 on spying charges, have submitted their case to the UN special rapporteur on torture.
The charity Redress said Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was held in solitary confinement for eight and a half months of her imprisonment and had suffered inhumane conditions of detention, such as being confined to cells measuring just 1.5x2 square metres with no window, natural air or light.
The Iranian authorities have repeatedly threatened to send the 39-year-old’s daughter, Gabriella, who had travelled with her mother to Iran in 2016 and is currently living with her grandparents, back to the UK.
Redress said Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s treatment “is based on discrimination against her for being a British citizen” and is aimed at forcing her into a confession and to force the British authorities into securing a deal for her release.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who denies the allegations against her, was sentenced to five years in prison in September 2016 by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court.
“We have passed the threshold where Nazanin’s treatment is torture,” said her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, who is unable to visit his wife in Iran. “These ongoing games remain a kind of psychological torture of continual ups and downs, and pressures impacting on Nazanin.”
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s plight came to international attention last year when Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, falsely said she had been training journalists in Iran.
Mr Johnson has since apologised for his mistake and travelled to Tehran in December to discuss Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case as well as other dual-citizenship nationals imprisoned in the country. Hopes for her release rose towards the end of last year but it now looks increasingly unlikely. Mr Ratcliffe has resumed campaigning for his wife’s release after direct assurances failed to materialise.
“It’s very hard for both of us to be hopeful at this point. We were obviously very hopeful at Christmas [for her release] and it didn’t happen,” the 43-yearold said. “It’s always good to hold on to the ‘maybe’, but also part of us putting in the submission now is because it feels like we’re just being gamed.”
During her 22-month detention, the charity worker has experienced “darkly negative feelings” and “uncontrollable bouts of anger” as well as hair and severe weight loss.
“The appalling treatment that Nazanin has suffered at the hands of Iranian authorities is likely to continue, with the devastating consequences that we have already seen on her physical and mental health,” said Redress’s director, Rupert Skilbeck. “The serious allegations of torture and ill treatment demand a closer and urgent examination from the UN special rapporteur on torture.”
Charity Redress said she was held in solitary confinement for eight and a half months of her imprisonment