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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed temporarily from Iranian prison Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed temporarily from Iranian prison
(31 minutes later)
British-Iranian dual national required to wear ankle brace and stay close to parents’ homeBritish-Iranian dual national required to wear ankle brace and stay close to parents’ home
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national, has been temporarily released from Evin prison on Tehran, but will be required to wear an ankle brace and not move more than 300 metres from her parents’ home.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national, has been temporarily released from Evin prison on Tehran, but will be required to wear an ankle brace and not move more than 300 metres from her parents’ home.
Her two-week release came after weeks of family and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian judicial authorities to accept she was in vulnerable position in jail as the threat of coronavirus spread through Iran’s prison system.Her two-week release came after weeks of family and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian judicial authorities to accept she was in vulnerable position in jail as the threat of coronavirus spread through Iran’s prison system.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in jail in 2016, and had been granted furlough once before.Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in jail in 2016, and had been granted furlough once before.
The Iranian judiciary said it had so far released 85,000 prisoners, half of whom were political prisoners.The Iranian judiciary said it had so far released 85,000 prisoners, half of whom were political prisoners.
The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, spoke to the Iranian foreign minister, Javid Zarif, on Monday, but in the Commons on Tuesday gave no indication Zaghari-Ratcliffe was about to be released. In a statement released by her family, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said: “I am so happy to be out. Even with the ankle tag, I am so happy. Being out is so much better than being in – if you knew what hell this place is. It is mental. Let us hope it will be the beginning of coming home.
“My thinking is that they want to keep me, but outside of prison until they sort out this thing. But to be honest, I just want to go home. I think they are showing a good gesture, as they are hoping to strike a deal. So they want to keep me out. If the deal won’t happen, then they will drag me back in. But if it does, then they will let me go from here.”
Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, who has been campaigning for her release, told the Guardian he cautiously welcomed the temporary furlough until 4 April – four years and a day since her first imprisonment – but said it was still unknown what her long-term prospects were.
Ratcliffe said: “Her health has improved. I’m pretty certain she had coronavirus and she was ill for two weeks but she’s recovered. The last week the conversation has been really stressed on whether she would come out. At our end they felt like they were just playing a game.”
He said his wife had spoken to their daughter, Gabriella. “We waited to tell everyone until she was back home from school. Gabriella’s cheerful, she took the phone round her dollies and her teddy bears. The contact will be better too as at her parents’ home she can talk over Skype. The phone won’t cut out every 30 seconds.”
The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, spoke to the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, on Monday, but in the Commons on Tuesday gave no indication Zaghari-Ratcliffe was about to be released.
In a statement, Raab said he was relieved by her release, adding: “We urge the regime to ensure she receives any necessary medical care. While this is a welcome step, we urge the government now to release all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, and enable them to return to their families in the UK.”In a statement, Raab said he was relieved by her release, adding: “We urge the regime to ensure she receives any necessary medical care. While this is a welcome step, we urge the government now to release all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, and enable them to return to their families in the UK.”
In a statement, the Free Nazanin Campaign said it was “pleased to confirm – as has long been promised – that Nazanin was this afternoon released temporarily on furlough for two weeks until 4 April 2020”. Zaghari-Ratcliffe is the only prisoner granted furlough in the last few weeks (more than one third of the women’s ward) who has been forced to wear an ankle tag limiting her movements. Indeed none of the prisoners remember this having happened to a political prisoner before.
“Unfortunately, Nazanin will be exceptionally required to wear an ankle tag during the furlough, which her parents have now hired from the authorities. Nazanin’s movements will be restricted to 300 metres from her parents’ home. On Tuesday morning, Nazanin’s father was summoned to one of the branches of the judiciary to arrange the ankle tagging.
“This makes her release more comparable to house arrest than the standard furlough arrangement that has been granted to other prisoners in Evin this week. She is currently in her parents’ home in west Tehran.” The family was charged 2.6m toman for the installation of Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s ankle tag. This included a deposit of 2.5m toman, and a monthly charge of 95,000 toman (approximately £20). The total sum is equivalent to just over half of her father’s monthly pension. After he paid the fee, his daughter was brought to the branch for processing.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release is temporary furlough. It is scheduled to end 15 days after Nowruz, the Iranian new year. This is on 4 April, four years and a day after her original imprisonment. “She was woken on Tuesday morning and told quickly to pack her bags for her departure, as she would not be returning to the ward from the tagging centre. Her cellmates helped her pack her bag,” the Free Nazanin campaign said.
She was not required to present any further bail, since the title deeds for her parents’ home were already with the judiciary as bail from her previous furlough in August 2018.
Nazanin is the only prisoner granted furlough in the last few weeks (more than one third of the women’s ward) who has been forced to wear an ankle tag. Indeed none of the prisoners remember this having happened to a political prisoner before.
On Tuesday morning, Nazanin’s father was summoned to one of the branches of the Judiciary to arrange the ankle tagging.
The family was charged 2.6 million toman for the installation of Nazanin’s ankle tag. This included a deposit of 2.5m toman, and a monthly charge of 95,000 toman (approximately £20). The total sum is equivalent to just over half of Nazanin’s father’s monthly pension. After her father paid the fee, Nazanin was brought to the branch for processing.
“She was woken on Tuesday morning and told quickly to pack her bags for her departure, as she would not be returning to the ward from the tagging centre. Her cellmates helped her pack her bag,” the campaign said.
“The goodbyes were overwhelming. Nazanin had spent yesterday making leather necklaces for her cellmates. This morning they were all wearing them as they said goodbye to her, along with some of the items of clothing she had given them as keepsakes. They also sang for her bridal songs as she left the ward, about a new bride going to a new home. This is the tradition in the women’s ward on the evening or morning before someone leaves. They all expressed their hopes that she would not be coming back.”“The goodbyes were overwhelming. Nazanin had spent yesterday making leather necklaces for her cellmates. This morning they were all wearing them as they said goodbye to her, along with some of the items of clothing she had given them as keepsakes. They also sang for her bridal songs as she left the ward, about a new bride going to a new home. This is the tradition in the women’s ward on the evening or morning before someone leaves. They all expressed their hopes that she would not be coming back.”
Wearing a tag means she is unable to visit shops, or indeed any of her relatives’ homes, and obviously the British embassy in Tehran. As Nazanin reflected, this meant her release is much closer to a house arrest than it is to regular furlough. Wearing a tag means she is unable to visit shops, or indeed any of her relatives’ homes, and obviously the British embassy in Tehran. As Zaghari-Ratcliffe reflected, this meant her release was much closer to a house arrest than it was to regular furlough.
She has already been in touch with her five-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in London, and has been relaxing at home with her mother and sister.