Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from Iran

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from detention in Iran

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity worker detained in Iran since since April 2016 has now been released and is on her way back to the UK.

On Tuesday her MP Tulip Siddiq said she had had her passport returned to her.

68 year old Anoosheh Ashoori, a former civil engineer, is also on his way back to the UK after being detained in 2017 during a family visit.

Their release has now been confirmed by Iran’s judiciary.

Iranian state media have also stated that the UK has settled its £400 million debt to Tehran, related to a deal to sell 1,500 tanks to the country’s Shah, prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Boris Johnson has been accused of exacerbating Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case during his tenure as foreign secretary.

In 2017 he erroneously informed MPs that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been “teaching people journalism” before her detainment by Iranian authorities. While her family and employer have both maintained that these comments were untrue, his statement was referred to as proof by Iranian authorities that she was responsible for “propaganda against the regime”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told Sky News earlier today that her potential release was a “reason for hope”.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “At a dark time, this is joyful news for us all to celebrate. Members of the public, NGOs, Parliamentarians and, of course, Nazanin and Anoosheh’s families have campaigned tirelessly for their release – it now looks like they are finally coming home.

“But it should not have taken years to reach this day – nearly six years in the case of Nazanin. We should never have been in the situation where UK nationals are being used as political bargaining chips. The UK Government has questions to answer for whether their actions, including those of the current Prime Minister, have prolonged this ordeal. I hope the Foreign Secretary will commit to an independent inquiry.

“I’m sure many tears are set to be cried in the next twenty-four hours. But for once I hope they are tears of joy.”

The Conservative chair of the foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said the releases were “fantastic news!”.