Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe temporarily released from Iranian jail
Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given temporary release from prison in Iran for three days, her husband has said.
The British-Iranian mother was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 after being accused of spying by Tehran's Islamist regime
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, from Hampstead, north London, has consistently denied all allegations, insisting she was on holiday to introduce her daughter Gabriella, now aged four, to family.
#FreeNazanin campaign is pleased to confirm Nazanin was released from Evin prison on furlough this morning. Initially the release is for 3days -her lawyer is hopeful this can be extended. She is currently with her family in Damavand. Thanks to everyone who has carried us this far pic.twitter.com/VLGeCr1v1q
-- Free Nazanin (@FreeNazanin) August 23, 2018
She was released from Evin prison in Tehran on Thursday morning and is with her family and daughter in Damavand until Sunday, according to the Free Nazanin campaign.
Husband Richard Ratcliffe welcomed the "good step" after 873 days in jail for his wife, saying: "Despite the build-up, today was a genuine surprise after all the disappointments. We have been burned by hope before, so it had been easier to presume disappointment would come again.
"But it didn't - she is outside those prison walls. And we are all so pleased."
Really good news that Nazanin has been released on furlough, credit to tireless campaigning by husband Richard and her friends. But being in prison AT ALL is gross injustice and she must be PERMANENTLY released for which every effort will continue @FreeNazanin
-- Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) August 23, 2018
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted: "Really good news that Nazanin has been released on furlough, credit to tireless campaigning by husband Richard and her friends. But being in prison AT ALL is gross injustice and she must be PERMANENTLY released for which every effort will continue."
