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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe makes pizza with daughter while settling back into UK

The British-Iranian charity worker landed back on British soil in the early hours of Thursday.

Isobel Frodsham
Friday 18 March 2022 13:03 EDT
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe returned to Britain on Thursday (Leon Neal/PA)
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe returned to Britain on Thursday (Leon Neal/PA) (PA Wire)

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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been settling back into life in the UK by spending time with her daughter Gabriella.

The British-Iranian charity worker, 43, who was freed from detention in Iran earlier this week, spent Friday afternoon making pizza with the seven-year-old.

Labour’s Tulip Siddiq, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s MP who lobbied for her release, said the pair were treasuring their time together after being apart.

She said: “Nazanin told me that this is what she missed most while she was imprisoned – every day moments with her little girl.

“Today was Gabriella’s choice of making homemade pizzas for lunch.”

It comes after Channel 4 said it will air a documentary about Richard Ratcliffe’s campaign to free his wife over the past six years.

The single-episode documentary, called Nazanin, follows the life of Mr Ratcliffe as he balanced a political campaign with raising Gabriella.

The broadcaster said it includes how the youngster coped with separation from her mother, and the moment Mr Ratcliffe realised her detention was linked to a £400 million debt dating back to the 1970s.

It also follows the final days of negotiations with the British Foreign Office in Tehran and Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s journey home.

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “Nazanin is an intimate, access-driven documentary – part love story, part political thriller. It has a human story with a big heart and mixes original, observational filming with never before seen material filmed by Nazanin herself about her ordeal.”

Nazanin will air later this year. It was filmed and directed by Darius Bazargan, executive produced by Ben de Pear and commissioned by Nevine Mabro.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe landed back on British soil in the early hours of Thursday, along with fellow dual national Anoosheh Ashoori, after the UK finally agreed to settle its debt with Iran.

The 43-year-old was detained on security charges in 2016 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday to Iran during which she introduced her daughter to her parents.

She was accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

Mr Ashoori, 67, was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran. He was detained in Evin prison for almost five years, having been accused of spying.

Both have consistently and vigorously denied the allegations.

Their release came after months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran.

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