UK government must do all it can to free Nazanin

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Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O’Hara said the UK Government has “dreadfully let down” British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family and must take all steps necessary to make sure she is released as soon as possible.

This week Brendan met with Nazanin’s husband Richard Ratcliffe who was undertaking a hunger strike outside the Foreign Office in Whitehall to raise awareness of the plight of Nazanin and other British nationals imprisoned in Iran.

Richard Ratcliffe set up camp outside the Foreign Office calling on the UK Government to review its current, failed strategy, and do all it can to secure the release of Nazanin and other British nationals arbitrarily imprisoned in Iran.

Brendan said: “Two years ago, I joined Richard when he was on hunger strike outside the Iranian embassy in London and on Monday, I met with him again. He has been staging a hunger strike outside the Foreign Office in Whitehall, where he is calling for the UK government to act to secure the release of his wife Nazanin and other British-Iranian nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran.

Brendan is pictured with Richard Ratcliffe outside the Iranian embassy in 2019.

“I fully support Richard and his efforts to get the Foreign Office to do more to free Nazanin and have spoken about her several times in Parliament. The UK Government have let her and her family down dreadfully.

“They are now hostages of the Iranian authorities and the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister must do much more to get her out. During my meeting with Richard, I told him that I will continue to do what I can and will continue to support him with the Free Nazanin campaign.”

Brendan has also been supportive of the work Amnesty International UK and REDRESS are doing to campaign for the release of Nazanin and also British national Anoosheh Ashoori. Both have spent years in prison following grossly unfair trials and have been separated from their loved ones in the UK, with their physical and mental health being severely impacted.

The pain and suffering inflicted on them, including through prolonged solitary confinement and the denial of adequate medical care, violates the absolute prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment.

Whilst the UK Government has taken some steps in an attempt to secure their release,
these have ultimately failed. Following the arbitrary arrest of Nazanin and Anoosheh in 2016 and 2017, respectively, Iran has also arrested and detained at least another two British nationals; labour rights activist Mehran Raoof and conservationist Morad Tahbaz (who is also a USA national).

Amnesty International UK and REDRESS share the deeply held concerns of Anoosheh’s
and Nazanin’s families that there remain crucial areas not being pursued by the UK
Government to secure their release and bring them home. They are calling on the UK
Government to review their current, failed strategy, and to ensure that by the end of 2021, all necessary and available steps have been taken to secure the release of Anoosheh,
Nazanin, Mehran and Morad.

To sign their petition visit https://www.change.org/p/free-nazanin-ratcliffe/u/29759619