{"id":115846,"date":"2021-03-07T15:27:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-07T15:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=115846"},"modified":"2021-03-07T15:27:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-07T15:27:09","slug":"nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-iran-is-most-likely-playing-for-time-over-britons-release-with-400m-at-stake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-iran-is-most-likely-playing-for-time-over-britons-release-with-400m-at-stake\/","title":{"rendered":"Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Iran is most likely playing for time over Briton’s release – with \u00a3400m at stake"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s five-year sentence is over but she has not been released.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes her electronic tag has been taken off<\/strong> and she can travel where she wants – within Iran.<\/p>\n But Nazanin<\/strong> cannot leave the country. And it seems she must return to court next Sunday.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The British government must now decide how to act.<\/p>\n A dual British-Iranian national is being held against her will in another country with the possibility of facing yet more time in jail.<\/p>\n The Iranians are most likely playing for time.<\/p>\n They know a key date is looming in the decades-long wrangle over hundreds of millions of pounds in debt owed by the UK for tanks ordered before the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Iranians have made it clear they link the two cases.<\/p>\n In early April a court hearing could see the last hurdles to the repayment of that debt cleared.<\/p>\n The Iranians were never likely to let Nazanin go until that money is paid to the tune of £400m plus interest.<\/p>\n The judiciary is not independent in Iran. It will do the bidding of the government.<\/p>\n If factions powerful enough to demand it insist on Nazanin remaining in custody that is what will happen.<\/p>\n With £400m at stake, it seems likely the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In September Iran pulled back from bringing new charges against Nazanin after a diplomatic hue and cry.<\/p>\n Her family will hope that similar pressure can be brought to bear if they try again.<\/p>\n They will hope that this is a temporary delay while the tank debt is finally resolved. If not they could face years more agony.<\/p>\n