British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Sunday appeared in a Tehran court to face new charges of “propaganda against the system,” a week after she finished serving a five-year sentence, her lawyer said.
The hearing has dashed the hopes of family and supporters for a swift release of the 42-year-old, in a case that has heightened diplomatic tensions between London and Tehran.
British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Raab said that it was “unacceptable that Iran has chosen to continue a second wholly arbitrary case.”
Photo: AP
In an interview in London on Sunday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said that his wife was a “political bargaining chip” and that he believed she would be convicted again.
Her lawyer, Hojjat Kermani, said that Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being prosecuted for “propaganda against the system for having participated in a rally in front of the Iranian embassy in London” in 2009.
The accused spoke in court, where she denied all charges, the Free Nazanin support campaign said.
“Nazanin ... pointed out that all the accusations and evidence put forward had been part of her trial in 2016,” the group said. “She had already been tried and convicted on this evidence.”
“The hearing took place in a very calm and good atmosphere, in the presence of my client,” Kermani said.
Under Iranian law, the court has seven working days to issue a judgement, although delays are common.
With Iran about to observe the country’s New Year celebrations, it means that a ruling might not be issued until March 30.
Britain demanded that Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the mother of one girl, be immediately allowed to fly home.
“She must be allowed to return to her family in the UK without delay,” Raab said. “We continue to do all we can to support her.”
Richard Ratcliffe said that he expected his wife to receive “the maximum sentence,” but Kermani struck a more optimistic note.
“Given the evidence presented by the defense and the legal process, and the fact that my client has also served her previous sentence, I hope that she will be acquitted,” Kermani said.
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