Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe - thread of awareness.

[onalongsabbatical]

I know we can’t ‘do’ anything. But I’d just like to keep raising awareness of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in relation to Covid-19. Her husband thinks she may well have it, she’s ill, they refuse to even test her, and they – the Iranian officials, whoever the fuck they are – have just said she’s been checked on and ‘she’s in good health’. For me this puts any hardship I may encounter into perspective. She is literally in hell. I’d just like us all to remember her, for what it’s worth. And her family. And the bastards who are holding on to her.
About whom I cannot trust myself to say anything.

Latest news on Nazanin from the Guardian live-feed on Covid-19
There are reports that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman detained in Iran and who is suspected to have the coronavirus, could be released from prison in Iran temporarily.

That’s according to a British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who tweeted: “News from Iranian Ambassador that my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be released on furlough today or tomorrow from prison in Iran. If this is true, Nazanin would welcome leaving Evin jail, but we’ve been here before.

“If this furlough happens, the British government have an obligation to make it permanent, and not let her be used as a bargaining chip in the weeks to come. I remain concerned that Nazanin has told her family that she has still not been tested for coronavirus.”

In a statement issued this week, the Free Nazanin Campaign said that although there were reports of at least one coronavirus-related inmate death inside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, staff had refused to test her.

In a statement issued via the campaign, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said: “I am not good. I feel very bad in fact. It is a strange cold. Not like usual. I know the kinds of cold I normally have, how my body reacts.

“This is different. I am just as bad as I was. I often get better after three days. But with this there is no improvement. I haven’t got one bit better.”

Thanks for starting this.
Thoughts are with her and her family.

Iran has issued a statement saying she is in good health (according to SKY)

I really hope that statement is accurate

The same Iran who have wrongfully imprisoned her and many others?
I won't go into more detail on other human rights abuses as this thread is about Nazanin but I wouldn't trust anything "official" from Iran.
I'm terribly worried about her. It's frankly unbelievable that this situation of her imprisonment has not improved.
I hope she recovers from whatever is making her ill.
If the worst does happen does her family have any legal options for suing the government for letting her stay in prison and indeed actively making her situation worse? I am thinking specifically of Joris Bohnson as Foreign Secretary claiming publicly, and erroneously that she was teaching journalism in Iran.

I share your doubts about the nature of Iranian statements in the past, but that does not stop me hoping that they are accurate this time.

That poor woman. In an ideal fantasy world, Boris Johnson would offer to swap places with her.

Thanks for starting the thread.

I think of her often and hope she is released soon. Thank you for raising awareness, OP.

Iran has issued a statement saying she is in good health But she herself has said that she's ill and worried that she has an unusual illness from which she's not recovering. Therefore I call bullshit on anything Iran says about her.

Update on the general Covid-19 situation in Iran from the Guardian live-feed.

There has been a spate of worrying developments in Iran, where the virus has killed at least 77 people.

The Islamic Republic’s supreme leader has ordered the armed forces to assist health officials in combating the outbreak. As many as 300,000 soldiers and volunteers could potentially be mobilised, though it remains unclear what actions they would be taking to confront the virus.

Semiofficial news agencies in Iran are reporting that the head of the country’s emergency medical services is now ill with Covid-19, and state television quoted a lawmaker as saying 23 members of parliament now had the virus.

State media also broadcast images of the 80-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khameini planting a tree wearing disposable gloves ahead of Iran’s upcoming arbor day, illustrating that concern about the virus as now reached the top of the country’s Shiite theocracy.

There are now more than 2,530 cases of coronavirus across the Middle East, with most of those outside Iran in the region linked back to the Islamic Republic.

The whole Nazanin situation is tragic.
Her poor husband and little DD...

This is the time we need to really start playing hard ball.

Iran is surely going to need help from the international community.

It's only right that we should provide this, but it when Nanzanin and others are released.

Random18 yes, there was something the other day about us giving Covid-19 specific aid. It should definitely be used as leverage but I haven't seen that aspect referred to. Fingers crossed someone with power is on to it.

Iran is surely going to need help from the international community.

These kinds of countries would rather have a massive death toll than accept tied help.

I think about her daily, she must be trapped in an absolute waking nightmare.

Iran has issued a statement saying she is in good health (according to SKY)

I find that very hard to believe. I have, with sadness, thought for a long time that she would end up dying in custody. I seriously hope that it is not the case.

Thanks for continuing to raise awareness. I’ve been following Nazanin’s plight for a long time. Really quite furious our government(s) have never made any concerted effort to help her. I really hope she is able to weather this latest storm and make a full recovery. I still hope she will make it home one day.

I think about Nazanin every day. I really hope she’s not got coronavirus, but I also really hope the fact that she’s ill can be leveraged to get her the hell out of that bloody prison.

As soon as I heard of Corona virus, before it spread out of China I thought of Nazanin. I hope to God she gets home soon

It is appalling, that poor woman and her family

Boris should be increasing efforts one hundredfold to get Nazanin home.

One hundredfold of zero.....he should but he won't

Oh gosh that poor woman. Heartbreaking.

Update on Iran, but no news currently about Nazanin.

The total number of deaths from the new coronavirus in Iran has now reached 92, the country’s healthy ministry is reporting.

About 8% of the Iranian parliament’s MPs have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said on Tuesday, as the country announced plans to mobilise 300,000 soldiers and volunteers against the deadliest outbreak of the epidemic outside China.

Two senior Iranian officials have already died from the virus and several more are infected. Semi-official news agencies on Tuesday reported that the head of the country’s emergency medical services, Pirhossein Kolivand, was now also ill.

The Iranian outbreak is obviously seriously out of control and there must be many vulnerable people at severe risk, not only Nazanin obviously. As a prisoner her situation is perilous.

They seem to have released a lot of prisoners with terms of less than five years who have treated negative for the Corona virus. I really hope she's released.