British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran goes on hunger strike

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian mother being held in a Tehran prison, has gone on hunger strike.

The 41-year-old is refusing food in protest over her “unfair treatment”, according to her husband Richard Ratcliffe.

The charity worker is serving a five-year sentence at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison after being convicted of spying, an accusation she has repeatedly denied.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s latest hunger strike comes after her daughter Gabriella, who is living with her maternal grandparents in Iran, celebrated her fifth birthday.

In a statement, Mr Ratcliffe said: “Nazanin had vowed that if we passed Gabriella's fifth birthday with her still inside, then she would do something – to mark to both governments that ‘enough is enough’.

“This really has gone on too long.” Mr Ratcliffe, of West Hampstead in London, is also fasting in solidarity with his wife, who is only drinking water.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested and jailed in 2016 at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran as she tried to board a plane back to the UK with her daughter.

The UK-Iranian dual citizen had been visiting relatives with her child, who has since not been allowed to leave Iran.

As a result, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's daughter has been staying with her grandparents.

Mr Ratcliffe said he spoke to his wife on the phone and she sounded “nervous, but calm”.

He said: “Her demand from the strike, she said, is for unconditional release. She has long been eligible for it.”