A British couple's world has been shattered by a decade-long nightmare, trapped in a agonising fight for their son's freedom after he was arrested in Iran on charges they and campaigners vehemently deny as politically motivated.
The parents of Anoosheh Ashoori, a 67-year-old dual national, have spoken out about the relentless anguish they have endured since his detention in 2017. Mr. Ashoori, a retired civil engineer, was visiting his elderly mother in Tehran when he was snatched by Iranian authorities and accused of spying for Israel—a charge his family calls "fabricated" and "absurd".
A Mother's Desperate Plea
In an emotional interview, his elderly mother described the profound toll the ordeal has taken. "Every day is a struggle," she said. "We are living in a perpetual state of fear and uncertainty. We fear we will not see our son again." She detailed the psychological torture of the situation, highlighting the opaque legal process and the constant hope dashed by delayed trials and bureaucratic silence.
The Shadow of 'Hostage Diplomacy'
Mr. Ashoori's case bears the hallmarks of what experts term "hostage diplomacy," where foreign nationals are detained on dubious charges to be used as bargaining chips in international negotiations. His family, alongside human rights organisations, asserts he is a pawn in a wider geopolitical game, a plight shared with other dual nationals like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Despite repeated appeals to the UK Foreign Office, the family feels progress has been painstakingly slow. They are urging the British government to intensify its efforts, prioritise his case as a matter of utmost urgency, and secure his immediate release and safe return to the UK.
"The silence is deafening," his father stated. "We need our government to act decisively and bring our boy home. Ten years is a lifetime stolen."
