Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe arrives in Britain after release from Iran
The mother was released after a £400 million debt was settled
Last updated 29th May 2022
British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has arrived on a flight back to the UK after being released from a six-year ordeal in Iran.
The 43-year-old was allowed to leave with a second dual national Anoosheh Ashoori, aged 67, after the UK paid a £400 million debt to the Middle Eastern country.
Both Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire after flying from Iran to the nearby state of Oman, which had been present in inter-state negotiations. The two Britons were then flown from the capital Muscat to the UK at 10:30 p.m.
They both smiled and chatted as they walked from the aircraft into a reception building at the airport.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe waved to the cameras, while Mr Ashoori, who was carrying a magazine, gave a salute.
Mr Ashoori appeared to be taking photos with the pilots in the cockpit on the plane, as they waited to disembark.
He could be seen posing with two men through the windows of the cockpit.
A third man, Morad Tahbaz, has also been released from prison but will not be flying back to Britain.
Nazanin's husband Richard, who has fought for her release - going as far as to go on a hunger strike demanding her return - said he was "deeply grateful" for their decision.
He added that he and his daughter Gabriella were "looking forward to a new life", now that their wife and mother is home.
All three people have been held by Iranian authorities on espionage charges, which have been consistently denied. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been detained the longest, having first been arrested in 2016.
The three Britons were released after the UK settled a debt of almost £400 million after it cancelled an order of Chieftain tanks following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which ousted the pro-Western Shah.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's local parliamentary representative Tulip Suddiq MP tweeted a selfie of the mother on the plane, expressing her joy of being able go to home after six years.
Speaking about their return, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed that the nationals would be back on British soil on Wednesday (March 16th).
"I can confirm Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori will return to the UK today, and Morad Tahbaz has been released from prison on furlough. They will be reunited with their families later today.
"We will continue to work to secure Morad's departure from Iran".
The family of Mr Ashoori also issued a statement, thanking those for their efforts to have him released.
They said: "1,672 days ago our family's foundations were rocked when our father and husband was unjustly detained and taken away from us. Now, we can look forward to rebuilding those same foundations with our cornerstone back in place".