Richard Ratcliffe, with his daughter Gabriella, holds an image of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who remains in Tehran. Reuters
Richard Ratcliffe, with his daughter Gabriella, holds an image of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who remains in Tehran. Reuters
Richard Ratcliffe, with his daughter Gabriella, holds an image of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who remains in Tehran. Reuters
Richard Ratcliffe, with his daughter Gabriella, holds an image of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who remains in Tehran. Reuters

UK pleads with Iran to let Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe return home


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on Iran to release British-Iranians held in its prisons, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been the subject of a high-profile human rights campaign.


In a phone call with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, the prime minister said Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is understood to have completed her original sentence last Sunday, must be allowed to return home to her family.


Mr Johnson also pointed to similar cases of other jailed British-Iranians and urged Iran to adhere to the nuclear deal it has signed.
"The prime minister raised the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other British-Iranian dual nationals detained in Iran and demanded their immediate release," a statement from Mr Johnson's office said.
"He said that while the removal of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's ankle monitor was welcome, her continued confinement remains completely unacceptable and she must be allowed to return to her family in the UK."

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, was released from Evin Prison about one year ago to serve part of her sentence under house arrest with an ankle monitor.
She was accused of plotting to topple the Iranian government, but her trial was held in secret and the case against her has never been made public.
She had hoped to be freed and allowed to leave Iran when her sentence was completed last Sunday.

That hope was dashed when Iran said it wanted her to appear in court the following Sunday.

Her house arrest was arranged as part of a programme to temporarily release thousands of prisoners due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In his phone call with Mr Rouhani, Mr Johnson also called on Iran to help stop breaching the terms of the nuclear deal, which both countries signed along with the US, China, Russia and other nations.
"The prime minister also stressed that while the UK remains committed to making the Iran nuclear deal a success, Iran must stop all its nuclear activity that breaches the terms of the [deal] and come back into compliance.

He stressed the importance of Iran seizing the opportunity presented by the United States’ willingness to return to the deal if Iran comes back into compliance.

“The prime minister underlined the need for Iran to cease wider destabilising activity and be a positive force in the Gulf region.”

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

RACE CARD

4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.

Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.

Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.

The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.