British mother jailed in Iran faces ‘invented’ new charges
A BRITISH-IRANIAN mother jailed in Tehran after being convicted of spying has been told to expect another conviction for spreading propaganda against the regime, her husband has said.
Nazanin Zaghari-ratcliffe, 39, who was arrested and jailed in 2016, appeared in court on Saturday over a new “invented” charge, Richard Ratcliffe said. The dual national, from Hampstead, north London, is serving a five-year sentence over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.
Mr Ratcliffe revealed she had spoken to the British ambassador for the first time by phone, a request Iran had previously denied.
He said the mother-of-one had again denied committing any crime, and appealed for clemency and freedom so that she might be able to have a second child. She told the court: “This year I am turning 40. I might only have a slim chance (of getting pregnant).”
Mr Ratcliffe said: “She was told by Judge [Abolghassem] Salavati to expect that she will be convicted. Nazanin discussed, both with the judge and the ambassador, a request for her to be released on furlough for (her daughter) Gabriella’s birthday next month.”
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, who is expected to visit Iran soon, said: “There is not a day that goes by in which we are not working in the Foreign Office on every single one of the incredibly sad consular cases ... and particularly the difficult cases we have in Iran. But those cases do not benefit from public discussion.”
The new charge came despite telephone talks between Prime Minister Theresa May and President Hassan Rouhani, in which she called for British prisoners held in Iran, including Mrs Zaghari-ratcliffe, to be released.