Anoosheh Ashoori, the former British-Iranian hostage, has said he is “disappointed” by President Joe Biden’s failure to include his former cellmate in a prisoner exchange deal with Tehran.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Mr Ashoori said it pains him to see US residents sidelined from the $6 billion pact that took two years to negotiate.
Five American prisoners are on track to be returned home and several Iranians released from US jails.
As a first step, the group including conservationist Morad Tahbaz have been released into house arrest in Iran.
But Jamshid Sharmahd, an activist who holds dual Iranian-German citizenship and American residency, and Shahab Dalili, also a US resident, are not on the list. Mr Sharmahd's daughter previously told The National the Biden administration had distanced itself from her father.
During the five years he spent in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, Mr Ashoori shared a cell with Mr Dalili, a retired shipping captain who was detained in Iran in 2016 during a visit for his father's funeral.
He expressed regret that the US president had not pressed the Iranians harder to secure his companion’s freedom.
“Not everybody is being released. This is a great disappointment,” Mr Ashoori admitted.
“For example Jamshid Sharmahd, who has got a death sentence on him, has been left behind and is not included in the deal. Also, a roommate of mine, Shahab Dalili.”
However, Mr Ashoori, 69, welcomed news of an agreement that will see five men reunited with their families in the US, adding: “I cannot hide my happiness at the same time.”
‘Apprehensive about the US deal’
When it comes to the Iranian authorities, he knows from experience that things can turn sour at the last minute.
“I worry in case they change their mind. With these people you cannot really predict exactly what they will do,” he said.
He drew on his own experience from his March 2022 release alongside fellow detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
“It almost happened when Nazanin and I were at the airport and we were going to be taken to this Omani Air Force aircraft,” he explained. “At the last minute, Stephanie Al-Qaq… if it wasn’t for her perhaps we would have been taken back.
“Until I looked through the window of the aircraft and I saw that we have passed the Persian Gulf, I was worrying in case we were returned.”
At the time, Ms Al-Qaq was director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign Office in London and played a role in securing the pair’s release.
Staging a fake release is one of the sickening tools used by the prison authorities to punish detainees, he said. He cited several cases of his fellow prisoners being released from Evin to be reunited with their relatives at the gate only for the officials to drag them back behind bars moments later.
“It’s one of their methods,” he said. “So that’s why I’m a bit apprehensive [about the US deal].”
Mr Ashoori’s feelings of apprehension are shared by Mr Tahbaz’s daughter Tara, who has said she has a “fear of what happens next”, following her father's release from Evin Prison.
The £400 million agreement that secured the release of Mr Ashoori and Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe did not include Mr Tahbaz.
The businessman and wildlife conservationist holds American, British and Iranian citizenship.
He was arrested in his country of birth in January 2018 during a crackdown on environmental activists.
‘Valley of hell’
Mr Ashoori, who lives in London, has thrown himself into advocacy work and campaigning since being reunited with his wife and two adult children.
On the question of whether Western governments should be paying money to Iran in exchange for prisoners, he said it is challenging to reach a definitive answer.
While he understands the point that funds risk being “misused by this barbaric regime” he wants people to know the anguish his family went through when he was locked up.
Families of detainees “want the government to do anything in their power to rescue them from that valley of hell because every minute spent in that place is torture,” he said.
“I see it from both points of view.
“The question I would ask politicians is: in all honesty, if it was one of their family members who was taken hostage, what would they do?”
He is still grappling with the effects of torture and imprisonment and has flashbacks of the many harrowing days he spent in Evin.
“This is not something that I expect will go away very soon,” Mr Ashoori said. “When I talked to Terry Waite after I was released, after so many years [he told me] he is still having flashbacks, still having some sort of trauma.”
Mr Waite, a British hostage negotiator, was captured by the Islamic Jihad organisation in Lebanon in 1987 and held for almost five years, most of which was in solitary confinement.
Mr Ashoori said unless a person goes through an ordeal such as his own there is no way they can wrap their mind around it.
To underline his point, he uses a Persian poem that roughly translates as: If you talk about the pain of bee-sting to someone who has not been stung by a bee how can you explain the pain?
“I’ve been stung by that bee. I know what the pain in like,” he said. “The least I can do is make social awareness about these bees. Bees are quite useful creatures, but these creatures [the Iranian authorities], evil is perhaps a better description for them.”
'Find a purpose'
As five American citizens prepare to taste freedom once again, Mr Ashoori offered words of wisdom to them: find a purpose. And that he certainly has done.
The father-of-two is planning to run the London Marathon for the third time next year to raise awareness about the prisoners who continue to languish in Iranian jails.
Front and centre of his mind as he crosses the finish line will be the Iranian conservationists whom he met during his ordeal.
These “fantastic people” would hold classes for inmates to raise awareness about endangered species such as the Persian leopard, he said.
The determination showed by these brave men in the face of harsh punishment is all the fuel he needs to carry out his lengthy training for the marathon.
The idea of running a 42-kilometre race at the age of 70 might sound daunting to many, but not to Mr Ashoori.
“There are some positive things that came out of this darkness,” he said.
“Perhaps my ultimate goal is if I can be of any help to prevent this happening again to others [and to] do something so that you would not feel that all those years have gone to waste.”
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
HAJJAN
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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
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
How Beautiful this world is!
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
EU's%2020-point%20migration%20plan
%3Cp%3E1.%20Send%20EU%20border%20guards%20to%20Balkans%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20%E2%82%AC40%20million%20for%20training%20and%20surveillance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Review%20EU%20border%20protection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Reward%20countries%20that%20fund%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.%20Help%20Balkans%20improve%20asylum%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6.%20Improve%20migrant%20reception%20facilities%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.%20Close%20gaps%20in%20EU%20registration%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E8.%20Run%20pilots%20of%20faster%20asylum%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E9.%20Improve%20relocation%20of%20migrants%20within%20EU%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E10.%20Bolster%20migration%20unit%20in%20Greece%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E11.%20Tackle%20smuggling%20at%20Serbia%2FHungary%20border%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E12.%20Implement%20%E2%82%AC30%20million%20anti-smuggling%20plan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E13.%20Sanctions%20on%20transport%20linked%20to%20smuggling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E14.%20Expand%20pilot%20deportation%20scheme%20in%20Bosnia%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E15.%20Training%20for%20Balkans%20to%20deport%20migrants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E16.%20Joint%20task%20forces%20with%20Balkans%20and%20countries%20of%20origin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E17.%20Close%20loopholes%20in%20Balkan%20visa%20policy%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E18.%20Monitor%20migration%20laws%20passed%20in%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E19.%20Use%20visa-free%20travel%20as%20leverage%20over%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E20.%20Joint%20EU%20messages%20to%20Balkans%20and%20countries%20of%20origin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
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
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
