Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'being considered for clemency' in Iran as leave from prison extended

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband says Iran's decision to extend her leave from prison by two weeks and consider her for clemency "feels like baby steps hopefully towards freedom".

Richard Ratcliffe said his wife's father had been told her temporary release from Evin prison in Tehran will now run until 18 April.

The British-Iranian is in relative isolation at her parents' house in Tehran while the country fights the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her father was also notified that her file had been put forward to the Iranian prosecutor general for consideration for clemency.

Richard Ratcliffe told Sky News: "I spoke to her yesterday and her mood was pretty upbeat. Her dad has been down to the prosecutor's office and got told her furlough has been extended for a couple of weeks so huge relief for her, huge relief for all of us.

"It's a first step forward and we'll see where it goes from here. Generally her health is much better now she is out of prison, clearly been very tense the last few days. Tensing up physically on her neck. It was a lovely phone call yesterday."

He said the prosecutor general will be making a decision about her clemency but he added: "I suspect it will need the approval of the supreme leader's office."

Mr Ratcliffe cautioned: "We've been here before, thinking we are on the precipice of freedom. I think with Iran, things can go quite opaque and obscure and you need to keep pushing, so we'll see what happens, and we'll see what's being said.

"I don't think it's going to be easy to tell if she's out any time soon. My expectation is it's baby steps to freedom."

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the news on Twitter - calling it a "glimmer of hope amidst the darkness", adding: "Let's pray that this remarkable family are reunited soon."

The family's MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted: "Every extra day Nazanin is out of jail is better than the alternative - but we must not lose focus on getting her home and away from the danger of coronavirus in Iran as soon as possible."

On a Facebook page used by the family to campaign for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release, a comment was posted saying the news was "a step in the right direction - let's hope it's the first step home".

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport while travelling to introduce Gabriella to her Iranian relatives in 2016.

She was sentenced to five years in jail over claims of plotting to overthrow Iran's government, which she denies.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was later given diplomatic protection by the British government, which argues that Iran has failed to meet its obligations under international law.

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Earlier this month it was revealed that Iran had temporarily freed about 85,000 prisoners in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus .

The number of dead from coronavirus has reached 2,517 in Iran and more than 35,000 people have been infected.