London, September 9, 2016
STATEMENT FROM THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION CEO MONIQUE VILLA IN RESPONSE TO THE SENTENCING OF NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE TO FIVE YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT:
“I am outraged that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sentenced to five years imprisonment in Iran by Judge Salavati of the Revolutionary Court. This is a very serious condemnation that comes without any charges or evidence being made public.
I have instructed the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s lawyers to find out what these charges are and I know that Nazanin’s family has asked the same of their lawyer in Iran.
As Nazanin’s husband Richard says, this is a “punishment without a crime” which is contrary to the rule of law.
I want to reiterate my total support to Nazanin and her family in these terrible circumstances and I ask the Iranian authorities to release her as soon as possible. I am convinced of her innocence and reiterate that she had no dealings with Iran whatsoever in her professional capacity at the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The Foundation does not operate in Iran directly or indirectly.
It’s now more than five months since Nazanin was arrested and her two-year-old daughter Gabriella is still detained in Iran, far from her parents, with her British passport confiscated by the Revolutionary Guard.
We continue to work very closely with Richard, the UK Foreign Office and the British authorities to find a resolution to this terrible situation”.
Monique Villa, Thomson Reuters Foundation CEO
To download the full statement, please click here.
