Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Requests Conditional Release from Tehran Prosecutor

The defense lawyer of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe announced that his client has requested conditional release from the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office.

Mahmoud Behzadi, the defense lawyer of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran, told the IRNA news agency that his client has endured more than half of her five-year sentence and is eligible for conditional release provisions.

Mr. Behzadi stated that they are currently awaiting a response from the Tehran prosecutor to approve Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s request for conditional release.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained at the airport in Farvardin 1395 (April 2016) when she intended to leave Iran. She was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of participation in “soft overthrow.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps accused her of violating national security and teaching journalism. However, Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe denied the charges, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation formally stated that she was a simple administrative employee at the foundation.

This dual national prisoner in Iran was transferred to Evin prison’s medical clinic in Shahrivar (August/September) following nervous attacks while returning from leave. The severe health condition of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe prompted a statement from Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International’s UK branch, who said, “What Islamic Republic authorities are doing to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is extremely cruel.”

Now, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s defense lawyer has stated regarding the latest status of her illness that a request has been made to transfer Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a hospital for medical care to be provided there, and we are now awaiting the prison’s approval of the transfer request.

Iran’s judiciary reported in Khordad that another security case file against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe remained open; a case that Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawyer told IRNA he does not represent, but is aware that a court session was held and this case has the status of a concluded matter; meaning it was previously investigated for the same charge and a sentence was issued for his client.

Domestic Iranian media reported in Khordad, citing Iranian judicial authorities, that the second part of Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case file remains open.

Western analysts say the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and concessions from Western governments.

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, in his latest report released approximately nine months ago, expressed concern about the detention of dual nationals in Iran and stated that these arrests are a source of deep concern and a clear example of failure to follow legal procedures in Iran.

Source: Voice of America