Thousands Sign Petition for Release of British-Iranian Dual National Imprisoned in Iran
Anoosheh Ashoori Serving a 12-Year Sentence on Sham Charges of Espionage
More than 47,000 people have signed a petition calling for the release of British-Iranian dual national Anoosheh Ashoori, who has been imprisoned by the authorities in Iran on unsubstantiated espionage charges.
Ashoori’s prison sentence—10 years for “spying for the Mossad” and two years for “illegitimately acquiring 33,000 euros”—was announced by the Iranian Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili on August 27.
The 65-year-old civil engineer and father of two is being held in Ward 7 at Tehran’s Evin Prison.
He was arrested while visiting his mother in Iran.
“(My husband Anoosheh Ashoori) has never been involved in any political activity but has been sentenced to 12 years in Evin Prison for spying for Israel,” Ashoori’s wife Shahrzad (Sherry) Izadi wrote in the petition posted on September 26, 2019.
“His life-long interest has been to come up with innovations to build safer earthquake resistant homes, for which he won an award. He has never held any government posts or been privy to any state secrets. I believe he is being used as a bargaining chip in negotiations between the UK and Iran—sacrificed for a being a British/Iranian dual national.
“He is a peaceful, conscientious, kind and upright husband and father, who wanted to build a ‘hobbit hole’ in the garden for his wife, and a pasta machine to help his daughter’s business. But instead of being with his family, he is languishing in a notorious prison on bogus charges.
“His trial in Iran was a farce, his lawyers were rejected, and he was ultimately forced to represent himself. His appeal has also been denied without a shred of evidence to support the accusation against him.
“I am calling on the Iranian authorities to free my husband and for the UK Government to do everything in its power to bring my husband home. Please help to clear his good name and bring him back to his family by signing this petition.”
As of October 2, the petition calling for Ashoori’s release had been signed by 47,326 people.
There are currently at least 13 dual and foreign nationals in Iran’s prisons, convicted after politically-motivated prosecutions that lacked due process.
