Johnson: We Are Working Around the Clock to Free Zaghari and Dual Nationals
Britain’s Prime Minister told Parliament that the country’s officials are engaged in “round-the-clock” efforts to free Nazanin Zaghari and other dual national prisoners in Iran. Britain’s Foreign Secretary said they will spare no effort in this regard
Britain’s Prime Minister announced on Wednesday, January 20, that London is engaged in “round-the-clock” efforts to secure the release of dual national prisoners held in Iran. Boris Johnson told Parliament that we will do everything we can to end the unjustified detention and imprisonment of these individuals in Iran.
Anousha Ansari, a 66-year-old engineer and retiree, is another Iranian-British prisoner who was arrested while traveling to Iran and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “spying” for Mossad.
Three days before Johnson, Britain’s Foreign Secretary made similar statements about efforts to free Nazanin Zaghari. Dominic Raab, responding to a letter from Richard Ratcliffe, Zaghari’s husband, said that London would spare no effort in this matter.
Raab, referring to Biden’s coming to power and the new American administration, expressed hope that “lines and approaches and thinking” in Iran would also change and “new possibilities” would emerge.
Nazanin Zaghari, an employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 while returning from a family trip, and was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison on charges of attempting to “overthrow” the government and “spying.” She holds dual citizenship, but the Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, Zaghari has been on leave since March 19, 2020, and lives with her parents. Due to an electronic tag, she is not allowed to go more than 300 meters from her home.
Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin Zaghari’s husband, recalled that his wife’s release date is March 7, 2021, and expressed hope that no new grounds for extending her detention would be created. Ratcliffe added that despite family contacts with the Iranian embassy remaining unanswered regarding her condition, his wife is optimistic about her release.
Nazanin Zaghari’s case is tied to Britain’s forty-year-old debt of 400 million pounds to Iran. Iran’s Foreign Minister acknowledged discussing the exchange of this prisoner in return for London settling its debt to Tehran, and said that during the time of Philip Hammond, Britain’s then-Foreign Secretary, it was supposed to attempt to secure Nazanin Zaghari’s release from prison in return for repaying this debt.
Source: DW
