The husband of a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for meeting Farah Pahlavi, the widow of the last shah, fears for his wife's health.
Nasrin Rooshan has been jailed for three years after meeting Ms Pahlavi, 85, and taking part in the Woman, Life, Freedom protests against the Iranian government in London.
London resident Ms Rooshan, 60, was arrested at an airport in Iran in November after a visit to a terminally ill aunt, her husband Arash Asiabi told The National.
She has developed a heart condition while in prison, and Mr Asiabi fears she will not get the medical treatment she needs.
“Recently, they notified us that one of her valves is failing,” he said. “It’s hard enough to get to a GP in Iran – in prison it’s even worse.”
Ms Rooshan also suffers from knee pain and was scheduled for an operation in the UK.
She was taken to hospital in Iran and given an injection a couple of weeks ago after “lots of pressure” from her family, who supplied the medication.
London taxi driver Mr Asiabi decided to speak out on Ms Rooshan’s behalf this week after months of silence around her detention.
He said his wife was subjected to weeks of “white torture” – a form of solitary confinement common in Iranian prisons.
Annual commemoration
Every year, Ms Pahlavi hosts a public event marking the death of her husband, Shah Reza Pahlavi in Cairo, where he is buried.
A patron of the arts and founder of the Shiraz Arts Festival in the ruins of Persepolis, the then Queen Farah fled Iran with her husband after his US-backed regime was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Ms Rooshan attended the event for the first time in November with her cousin, Sara Tabrizi, who was also detained.
During questioning by the Iranian authorities, Ms Rooshan was shown social media posts she had written promoting the rallies in London. She was also shown photographs of her with Ms Pahlavi in Egypt in 2023.
Mr Asiabi said they had not posted the photos of the event in Egypt online, and he did not know how the Iranian authorities had acquired them.
Ms Rooshan’s home in Tehran was raided by the police. “They destroyed the house. They were looking for something, we don’t know what,” he said.
After seven weeks of questioning and solitary confinement, she was transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran.
Her cousin Ms Tabrizi died of unknown causes at home in March, three days after her release. She was 21 years old.
“Nobody knows how she died. Under interrogation she experienced so much stress and anxiety,” Mr Asiabi said adding that Ms Tabrizi had been planning to travel to the UK before her death.
“She was the same age as my daughter.”
Ms Rooshan was initially given a four-year sentence, which she accepted. This was cut to three years. A couple of days after her cousin’s death, Ms Rooshan's relatives received a letter saying her sentence had been reduced to 13 months.
At that point, Mr Asiabi and his family decided not speak out against her arrest, in the hope that silence would help with the reduced sentence.
“We stayed quiet. We played the game they wanted us to play,” he said.
But when Mrs Rooshan’s lawyers request for a pardon was denied, they were also informed that the notice of the reduced sentence had been an error, Mr Asiabi said.
Imploring the UK for help
Now he has changed tack. He is seeking legal advice in the UK before contacting his MP and the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Although Mr Asiabi does not expect this effort will lead to the release of his wife, it could help to ensure she receives better care in prison.
“It could reduce the pressure [they put on my wife] and reduce the harm,” he said.
The Iranian government, he said, remains indifferent to international condemnation over its foreign prisoners, many of whom are dual nationals of Iranian origin.
“The government of Iran loves to take hostages – they don’t care,” he said. “This government just wants to keep people quiet.”
He is fearful of the repercussions of speaking out, recalling how former prime minister Boris Johnson botched comments about another British-Iranian, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, coinciding with her prolonged prison sentence in Iran.
“In our experience, with so many different people, you can see how things can go wrong,” Mr Asiabi said.
Last year, the UK government was criticised for its handling of the imprisonment of Morad Tahbaz, a dual American and British citizen whose release was won by the US when a $6 billion deal with Tehran was struck.
Ms Rooshan had been a citizen of the UK for 25 years. “My expectation is that like any decent government, the [UK] looks after its citizens. My expectations are no different to any other citizen,” Mr Asiabi said.
Living in agony
Every day since Ms Rooshan’s detention began had been “agony”, Mr Asiabi said.
He becomes tearful when discussing his daughter, a university student in London who needs therapy to cope with the stress of her mother's imprisonment.
“It’s very hard for me to see her like this,” he said.
Ms Rooshan is allowed to call her family for about 15 minutes five days a week, and this is organised in a conference call through a relative in Tehran.
“She cannot talk about everything over the phone; sometimes we ask a question and the phone line is cut off,” Mr Asiabi said.
He feared she may be under duress to conceal details of her day-to-day reality.
“All we hear is ‘I’m fine, everything is OK, no one has raped me, this doesn’t happen here any more,’” he said. “But what is happening behind the curtain, we have no idea.”
He hopes that speaking out will also send a message to other Iranians overseas, that even participating in protests “thousands of miles away” could mean danger if they go back to Iran.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
SPECS
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
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Fourth Estate
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
