Iran HR official urges UK to release jailed Iranian national
Secretary of High Council for Human Rights, Kazem Gharibabadi, has criticized the British Government for rejecting the return of a Christian Iranian national, Richard John, and called for his immediate release from jail.
The Iranian national has been in prison for two decades due to some accusations, Gharibabadi said while censuring the move for not giving him even a day-long furlough or not letting him be dispatched to a protected hospital for treatment.
Gharibabadi, who is also the deputy chief of the Judiciary for international affairs, said the Iranian national is not in a good condition in the jail, and he is even deprived of medical services.
Despite the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s effort to follow up on his case to return him home, the British side did not take the due measure, the official noted.
While he was hopeful of being deported to Iran, Mr. John gave up his British citizenship years ago; meanwhile, the UK did not agree to free him under the pretext that he could be a danger to British nationals, Gharibabadi underlined.
He further expressed wonder at how John could be a threat to the British nationals when he returns to Iran.
Now, this is the UK that has put the life of the Iranian national in danger, Gharibabadi stressed.
Referring to the improper and inhuman conditions Mr. John faces in jail, Gharibabadi urged the UK to release him and be faithful to its human rights commitments as Tehran had goodwill in two recent cases imprisoned in Iran.