British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashouri landed early Thursday in the United Kingdom, after a stopover in Oman, after being released on Wednesday by Iranian authorities following an agreement with London.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori landed at the base in Oxfordshire, where they have been welcomed by their relatives. Elika Ashoori, daughter of businessman Anoosheh Ashouri, posted a photo on her Twitter account along with the message: “Happiness in an Image”.
British Foreign Minister Liz Truss stressed that the release was anyone's guess “until the last minute”, adding that the last few days have been “very emotional” for both families. “I am pleased that Nazanin and Anoosheh are in good spirits,” he said.
“I thanked the families for the stoicism they have shown during this really difficult period. It is fantastic to welcome them back safely in the UK,” he said, according to the British television network BBC.
Truss further indicated that Morad Tahbaz, who has dual British-American nationality, has been released from prison, although he does not currently have permission to leave the country. Thus, he expressed his satisfaction that the man “has been reunited with his family in Iran”, although he stressed that “this is far from enough”.
Talks between London and Tehran began after an Iranian court dismissed the appeal against a second prison sentence imposed on the activist in October 2021. The sentence is one year in prison and another year's ban on leaving the country and he has already served five years for espionage.
The case would be linked to the United Kingdom's non-payment of a historic debt to Iran of £400 million (about $526 million). London assures that sanctions on Iran prevent payment from being made for the reimbursement of funds paid for the purchase of Chieftain tanks prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and that they were never delivered.
Truss herself said on Wednesday that the debt is “legitimate” and that the authorities of the European country “are looking for ways to pay it.” He also stressed that the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other detainees “is a top priority” for London.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 44, a collaborator of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was released on probation in March after serving her five years in prison on charges of conspiracy and espionage. Shortly thereafter, however, she was charged with new charges of propaganda against the Islamic Republic for participating in a 2009 demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy in London and making statements to the BBC's Persian service.
Meanwhile, businessman Anoosheh Ashouri was arrested in August 2017 when he traveled to the country to visit his mother and was sentenced in 2019 to twelve years in prison on charges of pro-Israel espionage and corruption.
(With information from Europa Press)
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