Britons return home after years in an Iranian prison

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anousha Ashouri landed in southwest England just after 01:00 Sweden time, after being released on Wednesday.

“(We) are looking forward to a new life,” said Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was waiting for the next plane to a British military base with the couple’s seven-year-old daughter.

Washington also announced on Wednesday that it could be close to a settlement with Iran and its nuclear program.

third free prisoner

The British government says a third prisoner – Morad Tahbaz, who holds US, British and Iranian citizenship – has been released from prison.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at an Iranian airport in 2016 and sentenced to a longer prison term for incitement during mass protests in 2009.

When she served her sentence last year, she was sentenced again and banned from leaving Iran. Her lawyer said the indictment was for “propaganda”.

Anousheh Ashouri was arrested in 2017 and sentenced to 12 years in prison for alleged links to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, something his family denies.

old debts

Family members and human rights organizations accuse Iran of arresting dual nationals to put pressure on Western countries.

Iran announced last year that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released if Britain repaid a 40-year-old debt of £400 million (4.9 billion kroner) to buy the tanks.

However, the British authorities did not confirm the repayment of the debt.