July 19, 2019
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been transferred from prison to a hospital psychiatric ward, the campaign group seeking to free her reports.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was moved July 16 from Tehran’s Evin prison to the psychiatric ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in the capital, the Free Nazanin Campaign, which is led by Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said in a statement.
She was arrested in April 2016 at Imam Khomeini Airport as she headed back to Britain with her daughter after a family visit and was sentenced to five years in jail after being convicted of plotting to overthrow Iran’s clerical establishment.
Her father was not allowed to visit her the day after she was moved. The family says it has also not been allowed to see any of her medical records.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May urged Tehran to allow family members to visit Zaghari-Ratcliffe. “We are extremely concerned about Nazanin’s welfare and call for her immediate release,” the spokesman said. “And we urge Iran to allow family members to visit her and check on her care.”
Last month, Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband ended a two-week hunger strike designed to push for her release and raise the profile of her case.
The Free Nazanin Campaign said Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s father visited the hospital and confirmed that she was being held there under the control of the Pasdaran. It said he was denied access to see her despite waiting for several hours.
“This is unusual. She has now been kept isolated from family or legal contact under IRGC [Pasdaran] control for over 36 hours,” the campaign group said.
Last month Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Zaghari-Ratcliffe would serve out her full sentence, dismissing a call for her release by a British minister visiting Tehran.