Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband delivers Mother's Day card to Iranian embassy
Richard Ratcliffe also took 155 flowers to the steps of the embassy to symbolise the number of weeks his wife has been held.
Sunday 31 March 2019 21:00, UK
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker who was jailed in Iran nearly three years ago, has delivered a Mother's Day card to the Iranian embassy in London.聽
The card, signed by nearly 20,000 supporters, reads "Happy Mother's Day Nazanin".
Accompanied by a group of mothers, husband Richard Ratcliffe also took 155 bunches of flowers to the embassy - symbolising the number of weeks his wife has spent in prison.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran airport in 2016 as she was due to head back from a family holiday with her then 22-month-old daughter Gabriella.
The charity worker was later sentenced to five years in prison on charges that "remain secret", although the state-run Iranian news channel claims she was involved in "plans for 'regime change' in Iran".
She denies the allegations and has always maintained her innocence.
The 30-year-old mother is allowed two visits a week from daughter Gabriella, who turns five in June.
Her family say she has become extremely distressed and depressed during her imprisonment and her health has been deteriorating.
In January, she staged a three-day hunger strike after saying prison officials were refusing to allow her to see a doctor to examine lumps in her breast and other issues.
She was later allowed to resume medical treatment at the Evin Prison in Tehran, where she is being held.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt granted Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection earlier this month - the strongest move from Britain so far over the mother's imprisonment.
This means the case is now a state-to-state matter between London and Tehran, although Mr Hunt warned the move is not likely to be a "magic wand that leads to an overnight result".