Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Husband to stage Westminster protest marking 2,000 days since wife arrested
Nazanin was detained in Tehran in 2016 while visiting family
The husband of a British-Iranian mum being detained in Iran is protesting outside Parliament today - to mark 2,000 days since she was locked up.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in Tehran in 2016 while visiting her family with her daughter Gabriella, who was nearly two at the time.
Since then, her husband Richard and campaign groups have fought relentlessly for her release.
Today, they'll be inviting MPs to join them on a giant Snakes and Ladders game, symbolising the turmoil the family is going through.
Richard Ratcliffe said:
“Since Nazanin was taken 2,000 days ago, we’ve had five foreign secretaries, three prime ministers, a referendum that changed the country, a US presidency that changed the world, and a pandemic that changed life for all of us.
“And yet we remain - caught in a game between governments. This game has been going on now for 2,000 days.
“We live the ups and downs of our lives, as they roll their dice, and make their diplomatic moves.
“With all its broken promises and false dawns, and the countless threats of more bad days to come, it is far too long to keep living like this.
“We have been clear with the Prime Minister, he needs to be a lot braver in dealing with Iran’s hostage diplomacy. The drift in decision-making and its impact has gone on too long. Too many innocent lives are being wasted.
“After 2,000 days, it really is time to put away the hollow promises of childish things. It is time for the PM to act, to be a ladder and protect his citizens.”
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s CEO, said:
“People’s lives shouldn’t be treated like a game by governments - it’s excruciating to see how Nazanin and her family are being made to suffer like this.
“We’re hoping Liz Truss will make the job of securing Nazanin’s release a major priority as Foreign Secretary.
“The Government urgently needs to set out a clear strategy for securing the release of all British nationals unfairly held in Iran.”
Liz Truss, who has recently been appointed the new Foreign Secretary, has promised to proactively call for Nazanin's release.