Unity of families of dual-national prisoners against the Islamic Republic's hostage-taking
This year, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in addition to meetings between politicians, something new is happening: the "Families' Alliance Against State Hostage Taking" is being announced, an alliance whose goal is, among other things, to defend dual-nationality prisoners in Iran.
The families of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other foreigners or dual-national Iranians whose relatives are incarcerated in the Islamic Republic's prisons have formed a group to defend their imprisoned loved ones.
A statement released in this regard states that the alliance will begin its work on Tuesday, September 24. To this end, a number of activists from the alliance will announce their program and answer questions from reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The most important goals of this alliance, according to what is stated in the statement, will be to try to draw more attention from the international community to the phenomenon of state hostage-taking, hold accountable those who commit such acts, pressure governments to act against state hostage-taking, pressure UN officials to prevent such acts, and shed light on the situation of the hostages.
The family reunion presentation ceremony will be broadcast live on the Free Nazanin Facebook page.
Multinational alliance
The aforementioned alliance will not be limited to "government hostage-taking" in Iran, but anyone who has faced or is still facing such a problem in any corner of the world can become a member and work in it.
Former government hostages and their relatives have also been invited to cooperate.
The alliance statement names Richard Ratliff (Nazanin Zaghari's husband), Nizar Zeka, Anna Diamond Aba Atash, Saeed Abedini, Ali Rezaian (Jason Rezaian's brother), Maryam Malekpour (Saeed Malekpour's sister), Babak Namazi (Siamak Namazi's brother and Baqer Namazi's son), Vida Mehrannia (Ahmad Reza Jalali's wife), and Hua Ku (Shiu Wang's wife).
Last year, in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Nazanin Zaghari's family continued their efforts to secure her release from prison in the Islamic Republic. A roundtable discussion was held in this regard, and Ms. Zaghari's husband provided information about her situation.
Nazanin Zaghari's condition unknown
Nazanin Zaghari traveled to Iran with her daughter in April 2016 to visit her family, but was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport and later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "collaborating with Western intelligence agencies."
Nazanin Zaghari is a Thomson Reuters Fellow. She, her family, the British government and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, a charity independent of Thomson Reuters and the Reuters news agency, have all denied the allegations as baseless.
The “Free Nazanin Campaign” reported in July that Ms. Zaghari was transferred from Tehran’s Evin Prison to Imam Khomeini Hospital on July 15 and was receiving treatment.
Zaghari's father, who was at the hospital to visit his daughter, was unable to visit her. The officers had told him that the patient was being held in the hospital's psychiatric ward under the supervision of the Revolutionary Guards.
It is said that Nazanin Zaghari is not allowed to contact her relatives and lawyer.
Source: DW
