Nazanin Zaghari to Be Re-Trialed Soon

The head of the Tehran judiciary announced that Nazanin Zaghari, an Iranian-British citizen imprisoned in Iran, will face a retrial in the coming weeks. He did not mention any new charges against Ms. Zaghari. Gholamhossein Esmaili made this announcement on Wednesday (May 22) in an interview with the Mehr news agency. Richard Ratcliffe, Ms. Zaghari's husband, stated in recent days that she faced a new charge during a court session on May 18. According to Mr. Ratcliffe's statement, the court session was presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, and his wife was charged with 'propaganda against the regime.' Nazanin Zaghari, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested over two years ago in April 2016 while attempting to leave Iran and was sentenced to five years in prison for crimes including 'participation in activities related to soft overthrow.' At that time, Nazanin was in Iran to visit her family with her young daughter Gabriella, who has been living with Ms. Zaghari's parents in Tehran since her arrest. The head of the Tehran judiciary stated that Nazanin Zaghari's case has 'two parts, one of which has a final ruling, while the second part remains open.' Esmaili confirmed Zaghari's recent presence in court and added that 'discussions were also held with her.' He also mentioned that a court session regarding Zaghari's 'charges,' the content of which has not been disclosed, will take place 'within the next few weeks.' The official judiciary news agency, Mizan, also denied the new charges against Nazanin Zaghari on the last day of Ordibehesht, stating that she was summoned to court but had not been informed of the charges due to not having a lawyer. According to this report, Ms. Zaghari stated in court that she needed a lawyer, and for this reason, she was 'not informed of the charges,' and a new date for the court session was set. Mizan's report reacted to Richard Ratcliffe's statement, asserting that the 'news-making' regarding the judge's comments about the expectation that Nazanin Zaghari 'would also be convicted in the new case is unfounded and without credibility.' It has been reported that Ms. Zaghari has recently requested leave at least next month to attend her daughter's fourth birthday celebration. In recent days, ahead of a meeting between Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart Boris Johnson in Brussels, the campaign for Nazanin Zaghari's freedom announced that her legal case has been reopened. Over the two years since Ms. Zaghari's arrest and conviction in Iran, Britain has repeatedly called for her release, and Boris Johnson, the UK Foreign Secretary, requested her release on humanitarian grounds during his visit to Tehran a few months ago. Human rights organizations and some political figures accuse Iran of using dual nationals as hostages to meet its demands from other countries.