A British-Iranian man held in Iran’s Evin jail on trumped-up charges has appealed to the leaders of his two countries to release him from his “hellhole” before he succumbs to the coronavirus after a spike of cases in the notorious prison.
In a recorded message sent from jail, Anoosheh Ashoori, 66, said that the pain of his 10-year prison sentence has been compounded by fears that Covid-19 may prevent him from holding his UK-based wife and two children again.
Mr Ashoori sent the message to mark the third anniversary of his detention in the jail, where inmates include political prisoners and dual citizens who are being held as bargaining chips by Iran. The retired engineer was detained in 2017 and convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad – following a pattern of such sentences for dual citizens who travelled to the country.
His appeal came after 12 inmates in another part of the jail were confirmed earlier this week as being infected with Covid-19, according to reports from within the prison.
Mr Ashoori said that lax hygiene conditions at the jail meant that the spread of the virus to his wing was inevitable.
“With the rampant rise of Covid-19 in Iran, particularly in Evin, I am not even sure if I will have the chance to hold my wife and children in my arms again,” Mr Ashoori said in the message recorded in a phone call to his wife.
“Dear Prime Minister Johnson and President Rouhani, please put yourselves in my position and tell me what lengths you would go to as an innocent man to be with your family.
“I implore you to get me and my fellow British nationals out of this hellhole before it is too late for us. Our lives are in your hands.”
Mr Ashoori told his wife that the authorities had been blindsided by the outbreak and had started re-releasing inmates on furlough over the past two days.
Some 100,000 prisoners were released earlier this year from the country’s overcrowded prisons in an attempt prevent the pandemic from sweeping through the jails and the wider community.
Mr Ashoori’s appeal comes after the Iranian judiciary announced on Tuesday that two more dual citizens had been jailed for a decade for spying for Germany, the UK and Israel.
Campaigners dismissed the convictions as the latest examples of state hostage-taking, designed to put pressure on their governments as it suffers under the sanctions and economic turmoil.
The Iranian-British lawyer Shahram Shirkhani was accused of spying for Britain's MI6 agency and passing on classified information about the central bank and defence ministry contracts.
Dual-citizen Massud Mossaheb had been spying for Mossad and Germany while working under the guise of general secretary of an Austrian-Iranian society, according to an official.
“For many dual citizens, simply visiting Iran carries with it the risk of imprisonment or incarceration and this systematic tactic of hostage-taking must be ended,” said David Ibsen, the president of American advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran.
The pair are among an unknown number of dual citizens and other foreigners held over security-related charges.
They also include French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, who was handed a five-year jail term for “conspiring against national security” and British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
HOW TO WATCH
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
Fast%20X
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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
