She also appealed to Iran’s remaining hostages for their reunion with their families.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a dual British-Iranian citizen, who visited Tehran in 2016 with her toddler daughter. She was released by Britain after it settled a long-standing debt to Iran. She expressed gratitude for her freedom, but said that she would not be satisfied until all the other prisoners return home. She cited Morad Tahbaz (a U.K.-born environmentalist) as an example.
“I believe that freedom will never be complete until all those who are wrongly detained in Iran are reunited to their families,” Zaghari Ratcliffe stated at a news conference which included Tahbaz’s daughter.
British, U.S., and other countries attempted to free dozens of dual citizens who were held in Iran on trumped up charges to get concessions from the West. Iran doesn’t recognize dual citizenship and has accused the detainees of espionage, as well as sentenced them to lengthy prison terms in harsh conditions.
This breakthrough was made as world leaders tried to negotiate Iran’s return to an international agreement that limits Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program. Talks have been complicated by the prisoner problem.
Monday’s remarks by Zaghari Ratcliffe were a warning to others that they shouldn’t be used in international disputes as pawns. She also criticised the U.K government and five foreign secretaries that supervised British foreign policy during her captivity for not releasing her sooner.
She said that she was repeatedly told, “Oh, we’re going home.” “What has happened today should have occurred six years ago.”
Before Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released, the British government agreed that it would pay a nearly 400 million-pound amount of debt resulting from an arms agreement that was canceled in 1979 after the fall of Shah of Iran. Tulip Siddiq is a lawmaker who campaigned for Zaghari Ratcliffe’s freedom. She has asked a House of Commons panel to investigate the delay in paying the debt and return the U.K citizens.
After Ashoori and Zaghari-Ratcliffe were released, the British government claimed that it had also negotiated Tahbaz’s release on furlough. However, he would continue to reside in Iran until further details are finalized. Tahbaz is also a U.S citizen.
Hojjat Kermani was his Iranian attorney and said that Tahbaz wasn’t released on furlough. Instead, he was allowed to visit his family in Tehran for 48 hour under the supervision and control of armed guards before being returned to custody.
Another twist was that Tahbaz was taken from Evin Prison to a hotel Sunday night and then returned to Evin Prison Monday morning.
Roxanne Tahbaz, Roxanne’s daughter, stated that “from the beginning, we were always assured (by the Foreign Office) that our father would be included into any deal to release all hostages. So we are truly devastated that this wasn’t the case.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe declined to talk about her captivity. She also refused to answer questions like how she survived months in solitary confinement and if there were any kindnesses shown by her guards.
She spoke more about the joy she felt when she walked off the plane that brought her and her 7-year old daughter home early Thursday morning.
She said, “That moment was priceless.” “I had been waiting for this moment for so long, and I was overwhelmed to finally meet Gabriella and Richard after so long.”
During the press conference Zaghari-Ratcliffe looked in the audience several times and smiled while making eye contact with Gabriella. Richard would reach out to touch her hand occasionally. Richard, who fought tirelessly for her return, declared his willingness to retire from public life to help the family heal.
This is not an easy task.
Zaghari Ratcliffe seemed to long for normality, the opportunity to braid her daughter’s hair and run the school runs so that she can meet her child’s best friends. She stated that privacy is what the family wants after the press conference.
“Gabriella said to me one day while I was in Iran that she knew you were very famous. Then it’s you and then its daddy,” Zaghari Ratcliffe stated, drawing laughter from reporters. “Then I said, “It’s not healthy to be famous because it will limit your ability to live a normal lifestyle.”… She was astonished and laughed. Maximum one week.
“So, we’re bracing for a week fame, then we’re going to have a regular family.”
