Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: British-Iranian woman could be granted clemency soon, says husband
The woman's husband says he is "hopeful" she could be granted clemency after four years in jail but "things could still go wrong".
Wednesday 27 May 2020 09:48, UK
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband says her release "feels quite close" as he waits to find out if she is among 3,000 prisoners granted clemency.
The British-Iranian mother was jailed for five years in 2016 on spying charges - which she has always denied.
She was temporarily released from Tehran's notorious Evin prison in March as 85,000 inmates in Iran were allowed out as part of attempts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The 42-year-old woman has been wearing an ankle tag and had to remain within 300m (984ft) of her parent's Tehran home as she waited for a clemency decision.
But her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told Sky News he was "hopeful" she was among 3,000 prisoners Iran's supreme leader has announced will be granted clemency.
"It feels like we're quite close," he said.
"It feels like things could still go wrong. We've had a number of times where we've been down to the prosecutor's office and been told to come back in a week's time so that might be happening again."
He said he believed his wife's fate was the subject of disagreement among senior officials in Iran.
"There's clearly been a battle happening between different parts of the Iranian regime about what to do with her," he said.
"It feels like more parts of the Iranian regime are keen for her to come home, but there still is some stubbornness. So it feels like we're close, but part of me still holds back just in case."
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, from Hampstead, north London, was visiting her family for Iranian New Year in 2016 with her young daughter, Gabriella, and was on her way back to the UK when she was arrested at the airport.
Five months after her arrest, she was found guilty of "plotting to topple the Iranian regime" as she stood accused of spying.
Her daughter's British passport was confiscated but was later returned, however she remained at her grandparents' house in Tehran for three years so she could visit her mother.
Her husband remained in the UK and has been campaigning for her release since the start of the ordeal.
He was instrumental in the British government granting Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection in March last year.