Iran’s authorities have given Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the Anglo-Iranian charity worker serving a five-year sentence, a three-day prison furlough.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was set free to see family, including her four-year-old daughter Gabriella. It was her first furlough since she was seized in April 2016, as she and Gabriella were flying out of Iran after visiting relatives. Gabriella, whose passport was taken, was put in the care of her grandmother.

No evidence was presented publicly against Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, before she was convicted on a charge of espionage.

Pro-regime activists insisted that her administrative work in 2010 in a BBC Media Action program training journalists was to implement political warfare for regime change. Amid protests for her release — and threats by Tehran’s judiciary to add more years to her sentence — Iranian State TV eventually tried to concoct a case from a few e-mails between Zaghari-Ratcliffe and others on the BBC initiative, but they only pointed to her duties in the organization.

Iranian authorities have blamed the BBC for involvement in the 2009 mass protests against the disputed Presidential election, and have continued a campaign of harassment and intimidation of staff of the BBC Persian service.

An Economic Quid Pro Quo?

Tehran gave no reason for the unexpected furlough.

The release came just after the Islamic feast day of Eid al-Adha, which celebrates compassion. However, there was signals that the move is tied to Iran’s efforts to establish UK and European links amid expanding US sanctions.

On Wednesday, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said the UK had replaced the US in a working group task redesigning the Arak nuclear heavy water reactor.

Ali Akbar Salehi the UK’s involvement helped ensure that Iran’s nuclear projects were proceeding: “Despite the US exit from the JCPOA, there is no problem neither in the field of exploration, research and development or in the construction of new [power] plants and activities such as production of drugs or hospital construction.”

The Rouhani Government has been seeking assurances from European companies of trade and investment in the wake of the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and Washington’s plan for comprehensive sanctions from November 5.

The EU has pledged to maintain the nuclear deal and to shield companies from American punishment for maintenance of business with Tehran. But the organization is struggling to protect large firms, leading to many drawing down or suspending links with the Islamic Republic.

See Iran Daily, August 23: Germany’s Merkel Cautious on Financial System to Bypass US Sanctions

In a sign of the regime’s promotion of the furlough, the Iranian Ambassador to the UK and a former member of the nuclear negotiating team, Hamid Baeidinejad, tweeted:

But demonstrating the difficulty of maintaining economic ties, both British Airways and Air France announced on Thursday that they are suspending all direct flights to Iran, saying the route is “not commercially viable”.

“Today is a Good Day”

After the reunion with her daughter and other family members, Zaghari Ratcliffe said:

I wasn’t expecting it at all when it was mentioned two weeks ago. I didn’t tell Gabriella or, for a long time, my mum so if it didn’t happen I would be the only one to suffer.

My dad’s home is not my home – but it is so much better than prison.

Her husband Richard Ratcliffe commented:

We have been burned by hope before, so it had been easier to presume disappointment would come again. But it didn’t – she is outside those prison walls. And we are all so pleased….Today is a good day.

Furlough is not full freedom – we want her home, not just on holiday from prison – but it is still such a good step. I promised Nazanin I will keep campaigning until she is home in the UK, so we don’t get caught in some limbo of house arrest. But, after 873 days, it is a massive step and we owe a thank you to everyone who has carried us this far.