UK Women stage global fast to call on govt to secure freedom of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff

Women across globe will be take turns to fast for 24 hours in latest move to pressurise UK government to secure freedom for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff, an Iranian-British dual citizen who has been detained in Iran since April 3, 2016. A female-led volunteer organisation working for women liberation, FiLiA has announced campaign on Monday which comes after 21-day hunger strike by detainee’s husband Richard Ratcliff. Guardian stated that campaign will be mounted outside UK Foreign Office in London until mid-November. 

While calling for entries from women in world, FiLiA stated that solidarity action will be launched by organisation’s CEO Lisa-Marie Taylor along with  Maryam Namazie, a British-Iranian human rights activist on 21 December. first week participants include Sophie Walker; a Political activist, founding leer of Women's Equality Party, Pragna Patel; Founder of Southall Black Sisters, Mandy Sanghera, International human rights activist, Vaishnavi Sundar; Filmmaker and activist, Sally Jackson; FiLiA Trustee and activist, Yasmin Rehman; CEO JUNO Women’s Aid. 

Women from India, UK alrey signed up: Taylor

Photographs of all participants of fasting relay will be published on group’s website each day as a message of solidarity. report by Guardian stated that FiLiA CEO, Taylor, has said that women from UK, India, Morocco and Iran have alrey signed up to take part in protest. She was quoted by media outlet as saying, “Richard has me it clear he doesn’t want people to get poorly” and ded, “So we thought we’d organise a chain of women to each fast for a day to keep pressure on government and show Nazanin how much support she has from women in UK and globally.”

action was reportedly inspired by 89-year-old human rights lawyer, Margeret Owen who also went on a six-day hunger strike just last month to take up baton from Ratcliff. This was after dual-citizens husband concluded his protest over health concerns, said Taylor.

Owen, who visited Ratcliff at least four times during his hunger strike, reportedly said, “Each time I sat next to him, I was so impressed but also so worried by third week with state of his health. We knew that Nazanin was begging him to stop. So I told him, I’m going to hunger strike for you.”

(IMAGE: AP)