Vigil held for jailed Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe marking her daughter’s fourth birthday

Campaigners held a vigil outside the foreign office on Monday
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Sophie Williams11 June 2018

Campaigners have held a vigil for jailed Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe outside the Foreign Office, marking her daughter's fourth birthday.

Friends and family of the 39-year-old lit 800 candles marking the number of days Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held by Iranian authorities.

She was detained in Iran in April 2016 at the airport as she was travelling back to London with her daughter Gabriella, who now resides with her grandparents in the country.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was handed a five year sentence for seeking to overthrow the government.

At the vigil, her husband Richard Ratcliffe said: “Part of the reason we’re here in front of the Foreign Office is just to say ‘listen, this is still going on.

Richard Ratcliffe holds a birthday card for his daughter
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"Please find a way to solve this.”

“There are clearly things going on between UK and Iran’s relationship. This means that we are a political bargaining chip – partly because we’re so high profile.

British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella
PA

As the vigil went on, Home Secretary Boris Johnson walked past and waved at supporters.

Ms Zaghari-Rattcliffe faces new charges of spreading propaganda. She has not seen her husband for over two years.

Richard Ratcliffe speaks to his daughter Gabriella over video chat
Getty Images

Three other EU-Iranian dual nationals are also being held by the Iranian authorities.

Hampstead and Kilburn Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said she has written to Prime Minister Theresa May about the issue.

She said the Prime Minister “needs to meet Richard and realise that this is a normal family from West Hampstead who haven’t seen their child and haven’t been together in years.”

Additional reporting by PA.

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