Baidinejad: The Issue of Nazanin Zaghari's Release is Under Review

Hamid Baidinejad, Iran's ambassador to the UK, announced on Friday, April 12, that the issue of Nazanin Zaghari's release for humanitarian reasons is currently being reviewed by the judiciary. Mr. Baidinejad made this statement during an interview with the BBC's 'Newsnight' program. In response to a question from the host regarding Zaghari's release, he stated that any change in her sentence or her release is contingent upon the judiciary's decision. He added that the Iranian Foreign Ministry has communicated requests regarding the possibility of Zaghari's release for humanitarian reasons, considering that she has a young child, to the judiciary and that the matter is under review. Mr. Baidinejad emphasized that 'the decision lies with the judiciary, and we are in close consultation with them and are doing our utmost.' When asked if it would be possible to expect Zaghari's release within a few weeks, he stated that he could not provide a timeline. Nazanin Zaghari, an Iranian-British citizen who worked with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested on April 3, 2016, at Imam Khomeini Airport while visiting Iran to see her mother and was subsequently accused of security crimes such as 'participating in activities related to soft overthrow.' Although Zaghari has denied all charges, she was sentenced to five years in prison. Her arrest and conviction have drawn multiple reactions from human rights organizations, including calls for her release from UN human rights experts and the 'Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.' According to the Free Nazanin campaign, the Revolutionary Court in Evin Prison has told Nazanin Zaghari that her continued imprisonment is due to the dispute between Tehran and London over the interest rate debt owed by Britain to Iran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, responsible for addressing this debt issue, has described the connection between Zaghari's case and this debt as 'baseless speculation.' Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin Zaghari's husband, had previously stated in response to a question from Radio Farda that both the British and Iranian governments deny any connection between his wife's case and the mentioned debt, but 'the message we receive from the judiciary or the prosecutor's office indicates that Nazanin's release is definitely linked to the payment of this debt.' This debt dates back about forty years when the then Iranian government paid £600 million to Britain for the purchase of 1,750 Chieftain tanks. Britain delivered 185 tanks to Iran before the Islamic Revolution but halted arms sales to Iran after the revolution. In a separate discussion, the Iranian ambassador commented on the actions of Western countries in Syria, referencing military operations carried out by several Western countries against Syrian government facilities. He expressed skepticism about the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons. Following speculation about a potential missile attack by the US and its allies on Syria, US President Donald Trump announced in a live speech that he had ordered strikes on Syrian military chemical research and storage facilities in coordination with France and Britain. He also warned Russia and Iran to cease their support for Bashar al-Assad's government. The Pentagon stated that the operation aimed to eliminate the Assad government's chemical weapons capabilities, targeting two main areas: the Syrian government's chemical research facilities in Damascus and a chemical weapons depot in Homs. In the 'Newsnight' interview, Baidinejad asserted that 'countries do not have the right to take unilateral action based on their personal evidence and must commit to global mechanisms.' He also condemned the use of chemical weapons by anyone, stating that 'Iran, as a victim of chemical weapons, takes the use of such weapons very seriously.' When asked if he would condemn Bashar al-Assad if he were found to have used such weapons, Baidinejad replied that all users of these weapons should be condemned. He added that 'some actors claim that chemical weapons have been used in Syria, but no credible evidence has been presented to support such claims.' He expressed satisfaction that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons inspection team would enter Douma, Syria, on Saturday to collect evidence of chemical weapon use and would begin their work promptly. The Iranian ambassador in London emphasized that 'countries must exercise restraint and wait for the inspection team's results before taking any action. Unilateral actions by the US and other countries outside of the international multilateral framework against Syria are explicitly against international law.' Last Sunday, rescue forces and anti-Assad activists in Syria reported a chemical attack in a rebel-held area near Damascus that resulted in at least 40 deaths. It was reported that this attack occurred on Saturday evening in one of the towns around Douma, northeast of the Syrian capital. Attacks by Syrian government forces against the Jaish al-Islam rebels in this area continue.