Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: British woman jailed in Iran granted temporary release from prison to meet her family

Fiona Simpson23 August 2018

A British woman jailed in Iran has been reunited with her four-year-old daughter for the first time in two years after being granted a furlough from prison.

Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was granted temporary release for three days, her husband Richard Ratcliffe said.

She was detained in Iran in April 2016 at the airport as she was travelling back to London with her daughter Gabriella who now resides with her grandparents in the country.

Describing the family reunion in Damavand, just outside the capital Tehran, Mr Ratcliffe said his wife was "overwhelmed".

Gabriella, 4, greeted her mum with a bunch of red flowers
PA

Heartwarming images showed the 39-year-old cuddling her daughter who greeted her with a bunch of red flowers.

She was escorted to meet her daughter, grandmother and wider family by her father and brother

Mr Ratcliffe, who has not seen his wife and daughter since Ms Zaghari-Ratfcliffe's arrest, said: "Nazanin travelled to Damavand from Evin with her father and brother to rejoin the family holiday, and see Gabriella, her grandmother and the wider family.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella before her arrest
PA

"Gabriella had picked some flowers from the family garden, and was waiting to present them - the tradition she has seen for families waiting outside Evin prison. Gabriella has promised to show her the garden, and also her dolls house.

"She (Nazanin) was very happy on the phone, though confessed to having cried lots, particularly when seeing her grandmother, and to being still overwhelmed."

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and daughter Gabriella
AFP

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was handed a five year sentence for seeking to overthrow the government and has been imprisoned in the country since then.

Her husband, who has headed a campaign for his wife's release, added: "The Free Nazanin campaign is very pleased to confirm that Nazanin was released from Evin prison on furlough this morning.

"Initially the release is for three days - her lawyer is hopeful this can be extended. She is currently with her family in Damavand.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe before her arrest
PA

"This was a very happy surprise after a number of false dawns recently, which had been increasingly unsettling."

A grinning Mr Ratcliffe told Sky News he had been woken with a phone call from his wife and brother-in-law at 6.45am revealing the good news (UK time).

He said: "I got a phone call from a very excited brother in law and my wife full of unbridled joy. We knew that it was possible, we had promises it was going to happen on Tuesday but it didn’t. I can’t say I’m completely surprised but it was a lovely thing to wake up to.

"Let’s hope it’s the beginning of the end."

He added that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe "looked very well" and said it was "lovely to see the old, smiling Nazanin back".

"It’s lovely, we are really excited, really hopeful but who knows where it will lead.

"Initially it is only for three days but with furlough you can keep applying for more time and we will keep applying for more time," Mr Ratcliffe said.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a dual British-Iranian national who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

She was stopped by the Revolutionary Guard at Tehran airport, in April 2016, and later charged with attempting to overthrow the Iranian government.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe cuddles Gabriella, 4.
PA

Boris Johnson was embroiled in a diplomatic row over the case in November over remarks made to a parliamentary committee claiming that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was "training journalists" in Iran at the time of her arrest.

The comment from the then foreign secretary was reportedly used by Tehran in a failed bid to add five years to her jail term.

Today, Mr Zaghari-Ratcliffe thanked Mr Johnson's successor Jeremy Hunt.

He said: "Our thanks to all those involved in making this possible in Tehran and London, and to the new Foreign Secretary for all his recent efforts and considerations."

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