Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe completes five-year sentence in Iran, prompting UK to call for immediate release
- Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained while on holiday in 2016 and convicted of plotting to overthrow the regime in Tehran
- Her husband welcomed the news but warned that his wife remained a pawn in a diplomatic dispute between the UK and Iran
The UK government on Sunday called for the immediate release of a British-Iranian woman after her five-year sentence for sedition ended in Iran, as a new court summons caused further uncertainty about her fate.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been under house arrest for months, had her ankle tag removed, giving her more freedom of movement and allowing her to visit relatives in Tehran. But the 42-year-old dual national now faces another court appearance in Iran next Sunday, dashing hopes from her family, friends and supporters of an immediate return home.
Her husband, Richard, said she was “genuinely happy” at the development but that she remained a pawn in a diplomatic dispute between London and Tehran.
“She is having a nice afternoon, has turned her phone off and is not thinking about the rest of it. I’m a bit more guarded,” he told Britain’s Press Association news agency.
“It feels to me like they have made one blockage just as they have removed another, and we very clearly remain in the middle of this government game of chess,” he added. “She remains in harm’s way.”
Nazanin spoke to the family on Facetime on Sunday morning. Her sister-in-law, Rebecca, said she was “quite upbeat, quite pleased” and “very relieved” to be free from electronic monitoring.