People at Leamington church hear story of family’s fight to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Iranian prison

Richard Ratcliffe addressed the Warwick District UN Association speaking about his campaign to have his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from Iranian prison and gather support for his campaign.

More than 80 people attended the event held at Leamington Baptist church on Saturday February 22 to hear Richard give an account of the last four years of trying to have his wife released from the Iranian prison.

Gian Clare, the chairman of local UN Association, said Richard spoke about how Nazanin was arrested and the implications arising from her arrest and having to learn about the working of diplomatic relations between governments with exchanges between the Foreign Office and the Iranian Embassy.

Nazanin is serving a five-year sentence over allegations, which she vehemently denies, of plotting to overthrow the Tehran government, having been arrested in 2016 during a holiday visit to show her then baby daughter Gabriella, now aged five, to her parents.

Nazanin, a charity worker from London, has suffered declining physical and mental health during her detention and suffered panic attacks amid the rising political tensions in recent days.

Gian also said Richard spoke about mobilising support amongst MPs in the House of Commons for his campaign, his hunger strike at the Iranian Embassy and the public support he had received nationally.

Richard has had a meeting with then the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and again had a further meeting with Mr Johnson at 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister few weeks ago. To date no he has had no positive response from the government to take up the case with the Iranian authorities.

Richard spoke in Leamington because his cousin lives in Kenilworth and Southam area.

Kenilworth Town Cllr Richard Dickson, who attended the event, said: "It was inspiring to hear Richard Ratcliffe speak and it's dreadful what, as a British citizen, Nazanin and the Ratcliffe family have had to endure for nearly four years. Straightforward humanity demands more urgent action."

Leamington Town Cllr Mubarik Chowdry, who attended the event, said: "As a member of the United Nations UK Warwick District I felt it was important that I attended and showed my support in his campaign to free his wife Nazanin, who his going through a horrendous ordeal in Iran.

"As a husband and father Richard Radcliffe is brave to keep his ongoing campaign alive and to gain a greater voice of support to free his wife Nazanin, and was pleased to see he was accompanied with his daughter Gabriella.

"I was rather disturbed to learn how the two nations are still not prepared to sit down to negotiate the matter to bring a resolution to resolve to free Nazanin.

"I was also disappointed to learn how human rights can be easily taken away from individuals travelling aboard with very little legal rights to protect them making them extremely vulnerable."