Tie yellow ribbons for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has been jailed in Iran for a year
Gabriella ties a yellow ribbon on a tree for her mum - Credit: Archant
Nazanin’s husband has arranged a meeting in Fortune Green park this weekend, for people to tie their messages of freedom on to a tree, to mark the anniversary of his wife’s incarceration with hope
This moving picture shows two-year-old Gabriella Zaghari Ratcliffe pinning a yellow ribbon on a tree, with the hope that her mother will soon be freed from jail in Iran.
Gabriella has lived with her grandparents in Iran for almost a year, after her passport was seized when her mother was arrested, learning Persian and forgetting her English.
Her mother, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested on April 3 at Tehran airport, when returning with Gabriella from a family holiday.
Nazanin’s husband, accountant Richard Ratcliffe is asking his neighbours, friends, and Nazanin’s many supporters to write messages of freedom and tie them to a tree in Fortune Green park, to mark the anniversary of his wife’s imprisonment.
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All are invited to meet this Sunday at 12 to 1pm in the park to tie their messages with yellow ribbons and hear a speech from Richard and Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn.
He is encouraging people to imagine what they would do if they had one day of freedom.
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Richard said: “It has been a long year of separation, a year of our lives interrupted. This anniversary I have been in reflective mood. I am grateful for the support of family and friends and neighbours, and for all those that work for Nazanin in different ways.”
“There are many comments on our petition – wondering how any of us can contribute. Our family has many moments of powerlessness.
“I wanted to ask this anniversary for people’s help in rehabilitating us.”
“Rather than feel sad for us this anniversary – please lend us your enthusiasm, your ‘happy to be alive’ days, your ideas for the one days to come. In the end, it will not be anger or sympathy we need, but renewal. One day it will come.”
Nazanin has still not been admitted to hospital, despite being given an urgent referral from a neurological specialist.
She was allowed a further consultation on March 18, where the consultant again recommended immediate admission.
The prosecutor’s office has told Nazanin’s family that it is awaiting for a judge to approve this urgent admission, which was originally made in February.
She continues to complain of pain and headaches and struggling with sudden panics, although her health has been more stable this week.
Nazanin, who has Anglo-Iranian nationality is serving a five year jail sentence in Evin jail, after losing her appeal in January. She has still not been able to see her charge sheet.
She has again been banned from calling her husband, reversing an earlier decision by the Prosecutors Office allowing her to call her husband once a month.
The Iranian authorities have recently arrested several people with dual nationalities.
