Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be sent back to prison 'at any time' after losing appeal

16 October 2021, 19:29 | Updated: 16 October 2021, 19:38

British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has lost her latest appeal against her sentence in Iran, meaning she could be sent back to prison "at any time", her MP has said.

Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, said Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's sentence of one year plus a one-year travel ban has been "upheld with no court hearing".

She has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene in the case.

The British-Iranian dual national has been in custody in Iran since 2016 after being accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

She worked at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, when she was arrested while taking her daughter Gabriella to see her family.

She spent four years in Evin Prison, after receiving a five-year sentence.

Read more: UK to pay £400m to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Iranian state media reports

Read more: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe jailed for another year in Iran

She spent the final year of her sentence under house arrest in Tehran, but after her release this year she was then convicted of "spreading propaganda against the regime".

Ms Siddiq tweeted: "Just spoke to my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard.

"Nazanin has lost her latest appeal and her sentence of 1 year plus 1 year travel ban is upheld with no court hearing.

"She could now be returned to prison at any time. The PM must act now to #FreeNazanin."

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard Ratcliffe, Ms Siddiq and Amnesty International have been campaigning for her release for several years.

Mr Ratcliffe has criticised the government's handling of his wife's case, stating that it "does not deal with problems until they become crises".

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss described the lost appeal an "appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through".

She said in a statement: "Iran's decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through.

"Instead of threatening to return Nazanin to prison, Iran must release her permanently so she can return home.

"We are doing all we can to help Nazanin get home to her young daughter and family, and I will continue to press Iran on this point."