Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was due to return to jail on Wednesday after being released on furlough in April but Iranian authorities said she would remain at her parents’ home on a tag pending a long-term decision on her fate.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe is “clearly relieved” by the decision to extend her release from jail in Iran, according to her husband.
Richard Ratcliffe described her as “quite buoyant” when he spoke to her this morning after she had received the news.
“It’s better news than we were expecting,” he said. “We can all breathe a little bit easier today. And she’ll sleep better tonight than she did last night. We’ve been pretty tense for the last couple of days.”
No date has been set for her return to jail, which Mr. Ratcliffe described as a “better grade of uncertainty” than they were living with before. “We don’t know how long it will last but we’re more relaxed.”
Amnesty International’s UK director, Kate Allen said: “Another period of this ‘conditional liberty’ is far better than outright jail, but we’re worried that the Iranian authorities are still playing games with Nazanin and her family. Nazanin was convicted after a deeply unfair trial, and she should never have been behind bars at all.”
Both Amnesty International and the family’s MP, Tulip Siddiq, are calling for the UK government to step up efforts to secure her full release.
“Obviously, there should be no question of Nazanin ever being sent back to Evin Prison,” said Kate Allen. “There are numerous reports of COVID-19 in Iranian jails, with detainees pleading for basic things like soap to help combat the disease.” (Source: BBC)