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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

(138 Posts)
varian Thu 03-Jan-19 11:54:44

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British charity worker jailed in Iran, has announced she will start a hunger strike on 14 January after being refused access to medical help, according to a letter published by an Iranian rights charity.

Writing from Tehran’s Evian prison, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she will start the three-day strike with fellow inmate and prominent rights activist Narges Mohammadi but continue it until their demands are met.

The British dual national and mother-of-one has been behind bars since she was arrested from Tehran airport while on holiday visiting family in April 2016.

The letter, published by Tehran-based Defenders of Human Rights Centre, said both women had been barred access to medication and treatment “despite frequent requests” and appeals to relevant authorities.

“In protest against this illegal, inhuman and non-religious practice, and due to concerns about our health and our lives, we will go on hunger strike for three days from 24 to 26 Dey 1397 [14 to 16 January 2019] and ask for immediate care,” the letter said.

The 28 December marked her 1,000th day behind bars.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-hunger-strike-iran-prison-jail-medical-care-british-latest-a8709086.html

Joelsnan Thu 19-Sep-19 22:30:54

Thomson Reuters Corp. provides integrated and intelligent information for businesses and professionals. It serves decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property, and science and media markets. ... financial and corporate professionals to connect.

The Thomson Corporation acquired Reuters Group PLC to form Thomson Reuters on April 17, 2008. ... It is now listed only as Thomson Reuters Corporation on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: TRI)

growstuff Thu 19-Sep-19 22:19:35

No, she didn't work for Reuters. She worked for Thompson Reuters, which is a charity.

PS. I worked for Reuters when I was younger - glad nobody ever thought I was a spy!

Joelsnan Thu 19-Sep-19 22:10:04

The Brexit MEPs were probably right in abstaining. Iran would consider this a very serious interference in their own business.
Iran does not recognise dual nationality therefore U.K. has no influence in the case.
The lady worked for Reuters so there may be more to this than is being divulged.
All of this external agitation over what Iran will consider as an internal issue could actually make things worse for Nazanin.

growstuff Thu 19-Sep-19 22:09:57

You're right! It has absolutely nothing to do with this case!

Fiachna50 Thu 19-Sep-19 21:54:30

I would just like to add, not that I think this lady was behaving like that. I meant an awful lot of British people in general. You just need to look at the behaviour in places like Spain for example.

Fiachna50 Thu 19-Sep-19 21:51:47

I have to say that most people who live in troubled countries, would be telling their family not to come. If I had been a grandmother living in a country with the issues Iran has. Its the last place Id want my grandchildren to come to. Their safety and the safety of my daughter would be uppermost in my mind. Im assuming, perhaps wrongly , that for some reason the lady felt it was safe to visit her parents. There is much I do not understand about the situation. The Foreign Office get blamed for an awful lot. They don't have a magic wand and alot of people from the UK seem to think they can do what they like in other countries, then expect the Foreign Office to work miracles.

varian Thu 19-Sep-19 21:49:59

These so-called Brexit so-called party so-called MEPs are utterly disgusting.

jura2 Thu 19-Sep-19 21:39:02

it begins with 'r' or 'I' - or both

janipat Thu 19-Sep-19 21:21:50

What possible reason could possibly justify abstaining? An absolute disgrace, every last one of them!

jura2 Thu 19-Sep-19 21:18:11

There was a vote today in the EU Parliament, to request that she is released.

The Brexit Party MEPs

ABSTAINED

may the shame be on them forever sad sad sad

varian Tue 20-Aug-19 19:06:19

Boris Johnson is all talk. The only obvious result of his careless talk when he was foreign secretary was the unjust imprisonment of Nazanin Whose situation has just become much worse.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-49405429

maddyone Wed 09-Jan-19 00:37:10

I think you’re right maryeliza, the political situation/ balance of power changed, none the less I do wonder if something else about her changed, though she can’t have foreseen any problem as she wouldn’t have taken her daughter there, and no doubt, her husband wouldn’t have wanted her to take their daughter either.

You could very well be right about only the father passing on Iranian citizenship, as my son’s friend didn’t say anything about that. She led me to believe it’s all children from a relationship with one ( or more) Iranian parents, but it’s more than possible that it’s just the father.

maryeliza54 Wed 09-Jan-19 00:26:15

As for what changed - well the constant tension between the Revolutionary Guards and the theocracy impacts on cases like NZR ( and other dual nationals in prison there) as that power balance is in a constant state of flux. I do think it’s ridiculous to criticise her for visiting when she visited every year since settling here (2007) and then several times since her daughter was born without incident. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to infer from her behaviour that she was never worried about visiting as she had nothing to hide or fear. I also think it’s reasonable to infer that she’s a loving mother who would never have put her daughter in harms way and at risk of being separated from her.

maryeliza54 Wed 09-Jan-19 00:16:08

I thought that under Iranian Law only the father could pass on Iranian nationality? Must check that .

maddyone Tue 08-Jan-19 22:50:23

Now that’s a bit of interesting news maryeliza, I wonder what changed from those uneventful visits to this latest visit.

The interesting thing about the Iranians view of citizenship is that they claim children born outside of Iran, who have only one Iranian parent, are Iranian, and only Iranian, as my son’s friend explained. She considers herself to be British, and normally travels on her British passport, but as I mentioned previously, if travelling to Iran, must travel on her Iranian passport as they consider her to be purely Iranian, despite her English mother!

maryeliza54 Tue 08-Jan-19 16:44:36

The visit at the end of which she wa arrested was her fourth or fifth visit with her daughter to visit the grandparents. All other visits were completely unproblematic.

Baggs Tue 08-Jan-19 16:42:07

What maddyone has explained so clearly about Iranian nationality has been mentioned several times in news outlets—that Nazanin's British nationality means precisely zilch in Iran. Iran does not recognise dual nationality of its citizens.

lemongrove Tue 08-Jan-19 15:55:49

Interesting posts maddyone
Iran are a law unto themselves and will not be persuaded easily by any other country as to how they treat their own citizens.
I cannot imagine why she took her little girl there ( yes, I know,parents are there) but even so!

Urmstongran Tue 08-Jan-19 15:35:21

Nazanin.

Urmstongran Tue 08-Jan-19 15:34:37

In the news today:
GRAND AYATOLLAH HASHEMI SHAHROUDI, who has died aged 70, was a cleric and politician who spent his career as a hardline conservative in the government of Iran. His roles included serving as a member of the Assembly of Experts, as the country’s Chief Justice and as head of the Expediency Council.
As justice minister between 1999 and 2009 he is thought to have overseen more than 2,000 executions as the Iranian government cracked down on dissidents, journalists and activists; some of those executed were believed to be minors.

This is what Nazarin is pitted against.

loopylou Tue 08-Jan-19 15:00:49

I'm another who thinks there has to be more to this than what we've been told. Britain is impotent to do anything, Iran holds all the power. Their record on human rights abuse demonstrates how little value they put on human life; I don't think they'll be particularly upset if Nazarin dies or remains incarcerated for life, what have they got to lose?

Not intended as being flippant I did wonder if offering Boris Johnson as a swop might work?

JenniferEccles Tue 08-Jan-19 13:21:01

I think it was only to be expected that the Iranian prison authorities would take strong action against anyone threatening antics such as a hunger strike.

maddyone Tue 08-Jan-19 00:13:42

Yes Jalima, it’s very worrying and distressing for her family, especially her little girl, who must barely know either her mother or her father by now. And I feel desperately sorry for her husband, who has lost his wife and child to the Iranian justice system.

Jalima1108 Mon 07-Jan-19 19:37:53

What is Iran up to I ask myself and what will their next move be ?

EllanVannin I wonder too; but perhaps they have made demands which will not be met as a precedent would then be set and other countries, too, could take note.
It is extremely worrying and very distressing for her family.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 07-Jan-19 14:01:51

It has just been posted on Twitter that Nazarin is being denied her weekly phone call to her husband and all other “privileges” since announcing her intentions to go on hunger strike from Monday 14th January.