Visit to Southam College to meet sixth form amnesty group
TWO years after her release from prison in Iran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband, Richard, were special guests at Southam College last week to talk about her incarceration and the fight for justice led by her family back in Britain.
Nazanin was detained whilst visiting Iran with her daughter in 2016 and sentenced to five years in prison on spying charges, which she has always denied.
She was held prisoner for more than 2,000 days and her husband Richard fought tirelessly for her release with a national campaign. There was also strong local support from Richard Ratcliffe’s relatives Alex and James Loftus who ran a family campaign in the village of Napton and from Nigel Rock Liberal Democrat Councillor for Bishops Itchington, Fenny Compton and Napton and deputy leader of Stratford District Council.
The invitation to Richard and Nazanin to participate in The Fight for Freedom Q&A Session at Southam College on Thursday 18th April came from the Sixth Form Amnesty International group.
Nadia Savage, organiser of the event said Richard and Nazanin were renowned figures in the realm of human rights activism and global advocacy and took part in a candid and insightful question and answer session to shed light on their remarkable journey, challenges, and aspirations, offering a unique opportunity for attendees to gain firsthand perspectives on pressing global issues.
“We were honoured to host Richard and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as special guests for this exclusive Q&A session,” said Mrs Savage from Southam College. “Their courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice serve as an inspiration to us all. This event offered a unique opportunity for students, staff, and guests to engage with them directly, learn from their experiences, and join in the ongoing fight for human rights around the world. It was lovely to finally meet both Richard and Nazanin together after campaigning over the years for her release.”
Councillor Rock said: “We were delighted to welcome Richard and Nazanin and talk to them and I know the family well. With my constituents Alex and James from the Zaghari-Ratcliffe family we campaigned for Nazanin’s release and I asked the district council to mark 2,000 days detention in September 2021 by councillors wearing a flower badge at our meeting in October 2021. At that meeting the council formally agreed to write to the foreign secretary supporting efforts for Nazanin’s release. I welcomed and thanked council for its support after her release in April 2022.”
Councillor Rock intended to update Stratford District Council about the visit at its meeting on Monday.
