Nazanin Zaghari summoned again to the Revolutionary Court with a new indictment

Six months before the end of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's prison term, Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court has served her with a new indictment. The new indictment means a new charge from the Revolutionary Court against this dual Iranian-British citizen.

The issue of expediting the release of Nazanin Zaghari had been raised by British media. Now, the Islamic Republic's judiciary has brought new charges against Zaghari, summoned her to Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, and served her with a new indictment.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRNA) announced the news of a new indictment against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Tuesday, September 8th.

According to this news, the Islamic Revolutionary Court has summoned Nazanin Zaghari and her lawyer and served them with an indictment in a new case.

The content of the new charges brought by the Islamic Republic's judiciary against the Iranian-British citizen is unclear. It is said that Nazanin Zaghari's lawyer is currently reviewing the new indictment against his client.

The issue of Britain's debt to Iran

On September 4, the Guardian newspaper published a report quoting British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, announcing Britain's renewed efforts to release Nazanin Zaghari.

It is said that Ben Wallace sent a letter to the lawyers of the Zaghari-Ratcliffe family, telling them that Britain would work to expedite the release of Nazanin Zaghari by accepting to pay its debt to Iran.

Britain's debt to Iran dates back to before the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims that Britain owes Iran £400 million for the purchase of Chieftain tanks by the Pahlavi regime. Britain's debt to Iran has been a contentious issue in relations between the two countries.

Now, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has claimed that the issue of Britain's debt payment to Iran has nothing to do with the release of Nazanin Zaghari-led political prisoner.

Khatibzadeh has said: “The British government has a definitive 40-year debt to Iran, and it makes no difference whether a British government official accepts this debt or not.” He has claimed that Iran’s judiciary “acts independently.”

The issue of releasing Nazanin Zaghari in exchange for paying Britain's debt to Iran was raised by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in October of last year.

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zarif mentioned the issue of prisoner exchange and spoke of the release of Nazanin Zaghari in exchange for Britain paying its debt to Iran.

The Islamic Republic's Foreign Minister said that the offer to release Nazanin Zaghari in exchange for paying Britain's £400 million debt to Iran was first raised by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

It was planned that Mohammad Javad Zarif would work towards the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Zagheri after Britain paid its debt to Iran.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the Iranian Foreign Minister had mentioned the end of Philip Hammond's tenure in July 2016, and by raising this issue, he had once again given relevance to this proposal.

Now, with the new charges against Nazanin Zaghari, six months before the end of her prison term, and Khatibzadeh's remarks, it appears that the Islamic Republic has changed its stance towards this Iranian-British citizen.

Ezanin Zaghari, a Thomson Reuters Foundation employee, was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 while returning from a family trip and later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of attempted “subversion” and “espionage.” She holds dual citizenship, but the Iranian government does not recognize dual citizenship.

Zaghari has been on leave with his family since March 17 due to the coronavirus, but due to an electric shock, he is not allowed to travel more than three hundred meters from his home.

Source: DW