Mum held in Iranian prison now a ‘case of life and death’
THE case of a British-Iranian mother detained in Tehran is a ‘matter of life and death’, MPs warned yesterday, after officials rationed her food.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has threatened to go on hunger strike next week in protest at medical care being withheld.
The charity worker has developed lumps on her breast and suffers from a number of health complaints.
However Iran has now rationed her food and prevented calls to her husband, Richard, and daughter Gabriella, four.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 40, was arrested at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport in April 2016 and sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying – a charge she denies. She has now spent more than 1,000 days in prison.
Yesterday, her MP, Tulip Siddiq, raised her case in Parliament, saying ‘tough rhetoric will not do anything’ to help the mother of one. She told ministers Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s treatment in Iran has got ‘considerably worse’ in the past two weeks. During the urgent question, she said: ‘Nazanin has been given a ration of food which has slowly decreased.
‘Nazanin has been told the calls that she was allowed to make to her family and husband in London have now been restricted and will be further restricted.
‘She has also been told that she will be denied medical access, even though she has discovered lumps on her breast.
‘In light of this, Nazanin has said she will go on hunger strike from next week.’
Miss Siddiq asked for an update on the proposal to grant Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection and suggested Iran’s detention of British nationals should be discussed at the United Nations Security Council.
She said she believed Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt were ‘absolutely determined’ to solve the case and found their pledges to help free Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to be genuine.
But Miss Siddiq added: ‘The truth is this is a matter of life and death. Tough rhetoric will not do anything.
‘What we need is decisive action from our Government to make sure that my constituent Nazanin comes homes alive to West Hampstead.’
Mr Burt, replying for the Government, said Iran’s decision to not recognise dual nationality had hindered access.
Mr Burt said there was constant communication with Iran over Mrs ZaghariRatcliffe, adding: ‘A request for diplomatic protection is still being considered as to whether or not this would add anything to the circumstances.’
Mr Zaghari-Ratcliffe said treatment his wife was being denied included checks for breast lumps, neurological care regarding neck pains and limb numbness, and access to a psychiatrist.