Judiciary News Agency: No New Charge Has Been Communicated to Nazanin Zaghari

Misan News Agency, the official news agency of the judiciary, while denying that a new charge has been communicated to Nazanin Zaghari, an Iranian-British citizen, stated that she has been summoned to court but the charge has “not been communicated” due to her lack of a lawyer.

The news agency reported on Monday, May 21, that Nazanin Zaghari was summoned to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on Sunday.

According to the report, Ms. Zaghari stated in the court session that she needs a lawyer, and for this reason, she “was not informed of the charge” and a new date for the court hearing was set.

According to the news agency, a representative of the prosecutor was also present in the session.

Ms. Zaghari had previously received a prison sentence, and therefore holding a new trial could mean that a new charge has been brought against her.

Also, the presence of a prosecutor’s representative in court sessions usually indicates that a new charge has been brought against a prisoner.

The Misan News Agency report was a response to statements by Nazanin Zaghari’s husband, who reported that she was facing a new charge.

Richard Ratcliffe stated in a statement released on Monday that the court hearing was presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati and his wife has been charged with “propaganda against the system.”

Mr. Ratcliffe stated that the judge told his wife that she should expect another verdict against her.

However, Misan News Agency wrote in its report that “sensationalism” about the judge’s remarks that it is expected Nazanin Zaghari “will also be convicted in the new case” is “devoid of accuracy and credibility.”

While Nazanin Zaghari’s husband reported her charge being communicated on Saturday, the judiciary news agency announced the date of Ms. Zaghari’s appearance in court as Sunday.

Ms. Zaghari, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation charity organization, was detained in April 2016 when leaving Iran and, after being accused of crimes including “participation in activities related to soft overthrow,” was sentenced to five years in prison.

At that time, Nazanin Zaghari traveled to Iran with her young daughter Gabriella to visit her family, and since her arrest, Gabriella, who is now three years old, lives with Nazanin Zaghari’s parents in Tehran.

It has been reported that Ms. Zaghari wants to have at least next month off to attend her daughter’s fourth birthday celebration.

Last week, ahead of a meeting between Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart Boris Johnson in Brussels, the Free Nazanin campaign reported that her legal case has been reopened.

Mr. Ratcliffe also reported that on Sunday the British ambassador in Tehran was able to meet with Nazanin Zaghari, and this meeting was the first diplomatic access to Ms. Zaghari since her arrest.

Over the two years that have passed since Ms. Zaghari’s arrest and conviction in Iran, Britain has repeatedly called for her release, and Boris Johnson, the country’s foreign secretary, during his visit to Tehran a few months ago, called for Ms. Zaghari’s release on humanitarian grounds.

At the same time, it has been reported for months that Britain is seeking to facilitate her release by repaying close to 400 million pounds related to a pre-revolution arms deal with Iran.

Iran, on the eve of the implementation of the JCPOA, in winter 2015, similarly released several Iranian-American prisoners simultaneously with receiving an old debt from the United States, although these two concurrent events led to speculation about the release of these prisoners in exchange for payment to Iran.

Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, is among those who criticized the previous U.S. administration for this reason.

Source: Radio Farda