Anousheh Ashouri's Plea to British Officials: Do Not Succumb to the Islamic Republic's Extortion

Anousheh Ashouri, an Iranian-British citizen who spent nearly five years imprisoned in Iran, has once again urged British officials to resist the hostage-taking and arbitrary detention of citizens by the Islamic Republic. The Iran Human Rights Campaign reported on Friday, June 8, citing Ashouri, that in his statements, while referring to the pressures he faced during his interrogation and detention in Iran, he called on British officials not to yield to the Islamic Republic's extortion policies. Ashouri spent 116 days in solitary confinement, and the pressures he experienced were so severe that he attempted suicide three times. Long-term detention of individuals in solitary confinement is considered 'white torture' or 'psychological torture.' Recently, Ashouri shared parts of his captivity experiences in Iran during an exhibition in London titled 'Rescue from Evin,' organized in collaboration with Amnesty International UK. During this exhibition, in a video message published on Friday on Amnesty International UK's social media account, he sent a message to the future Prime Minister of Britain, urging them to create a pathway for the release of those who have been arbitrarily imprisoned and to ensure that such incidents do not happen to British citizens in the future. The 'Rescue from Evin' exhibition includes various sections, including personal belongings of Anousheh Ashouri that he managed to smuggle out of Evin prison illegally. This experiential exhibition is designed to inform visitors about years of imprisonment, detention by the Islamic Republic's intelligence agents, interrogations, solitary confinement, life with other prisoners, family struggles, freedom, and Ashouri's return to Britain. Ashouri stated that the aim of this exhibition is to 'provide deep insights into the challenges and victories of 1677 days of captivity' as well as 'life after freedom.' After his release and return to Britain, Ashouri has participated in various campaigns to support dual nationals and foreign prisoners in the Islamic Republic's prisons, including Morad Tahbaz and Mehran Raouf. Western countries refer to the imprisonment of their citizens by the Islamic Republic as 'political hostage-taking' and have repeatedly called on the Islamic Republic to end this 'cruel' practice. However, the Islamic Republic continues to detain and imprison Western and dual citizens without providing any evidence and based on accusations such as 'acting against national security.' This report utilizes information from Amnesty International, the Iran Human Rights Campaign, and Voice of America.