Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe leaving Iran after lengthy prison term
Al JazeeraDec 27, 2021
The Facts
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has spoken about her ordeal for the first time since she was released from prison in Iran, saying she has lost trust in politicians and calling for other detainees to be freed.
She was released in March along with British-Iranian national Anoosheh Ashoori, following extensive diplomacy between the UK and Iran.
The Spin
Right narrative
This is an exceptional success.Truss committed herself to securing the release of British nationals from Iran and pushed officials to find creative solutions to Iranian sanctions. The release was also dependent on the positive political climate between Iran and Oman, which helped mediate the deal, and ongoing Nuclear Deal talks in Vienna, which Truss was able to succesfully utilize.
Left narrative
This release is long overdue. The return of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori to the UK is cause for celebration, but the length of their detainment is down to Foreign Office failings under successive conservative governments. It shouldn't have taken the personal courage and blind persistence of ordinary citizens (Richard Ratcliffe and Ashoori's wife Sherry Izadi) to force the British state to pay a debt it blatantly owed.
Narrative C
A new Iran nuclear deal may be around the corner. The release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori were not a formal part of nuclear negotiations, but their release was viewed by the US as a prerequisite. An important hurdle has been cleared as Washington and Tehran move closer to reviving the 2015 agreement.