Mother’s Day: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband delivers card to Iranian embassy

Gesture comes ahead of three-year anniversary of British mother’s arrest in Iran

The husband of jailed British charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has delivered a Mother’s Day card signed by nearly 20,000 supporters to the steps of the Iranian embassy in London.

The gesture comes days ahead of the three-year anniversary of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s arrest at Tehran airport at the end of a family visit to Iran with her daughter Gabriella.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed for five years in Iran in 2016 after being convicted of spying, which she denies.

She is allowed two visits a week from her 4-year-old daughter while her husband Richard Ratcliffe campaigns for her release from their home in north London.

In recognition of the 155 weeks his wife has spent in prison so far, Mr Ratcliffe brought 155 bunches of flowers to the Iranian embassy, accompanied by a group of Hampstead mothers.

Mr Ratcliffe says his wife’s health has been deteriorating in prison where she has suffered from depression and panic attacks.

In January, the 40-year-old mother staged a three-day hunger strike in protest at prison officials refusing to allow her to see a doctor to examine lumps in her breast and other health issues.

Following her action, staff at Evin Prison in Tehran allowed Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe to resume medical treatment.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella in February 2016 (Reuters)

In an article for The Independent, Mr Ratcliffe said his wife’s hunger strike did not feel like defiance “but of despair, that no one can do anything”.

Since her arrest, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s mother has been looking after Gabriella, who turns five in June.

Ahead of the three-year anniversary of his wife’s imprisonment, Mr Ratcliffe told the Times: “It’s Iranian new year now and Nazanin was hoping to be home. That was her landmark after Christmas.”

Instead, he said she has “got low again ... There have been some very tough phone calls.”

Mr Ratcliffe said his daughter had asked him what “execution” meant as it was “a word she picked up from the prison waiting room”.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case is now being treated as a formal, legal dispute between Britain and Iran.

This comes after the foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt extended UK diplomatic protection to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe in March. The Foreign Office is now awaiting the Iranian government’s response.

Amnesty International has declared the case “a terrible miscarriage of justice”.

Kate Allen, the organisation’s UK director, said: “It’s heart-wrenchingly sad that Nazanin is being forced to spend another Mother’s Day behind bars.

“Nazanin is the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice.

“The Iranian authorities need to release Nazanin immediately and unconditionally, before even more damage is done to this innocent, long-suffering family.”