Family marks 2,000 days since UK woman's arrest in Iran

The husband of a detained U.K. charity worker has appealed to the British government to be brave in its dealings with Iran as the family marked 2,000 days since her detention

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The husband of detained U.K. charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe appealed to the British government on Thursday to be brave in its dealings with Iran as the family marked 2,000 days since her arrest there.

Richard Ratcliffe and the couple’s 7-year-old daughter Gabriella stood on top of a snakes and ladders game board in Parliament Square symbolizing the dilemma of being caught between two governments. Nazanin Zaghari-Racliffe, who was arrested while on vacation in Iran in 2016, is one of several people with British or dual-British nationality now being held there.

“It’s 2,000 days of ups and downs and twists and turns and false dawns, and snakes and ladders seemed to encapsulate that because we’re in the middle of a game between two governments, we’re just a bargaining chip in it,” he said.

The Foreign Office insists that the case is a priority for Liz Truss who recently took over as foreign secretary. She raised the case before her Iranian counterpart on Wednesday.

“The government needs to be brave and just start doing things that will cause a rethink amongst those in charge of Iran’s hostage-taking action,” Ratcliffe said.