In My View: Janet Daby, MP for Lewisham East

In August 2017, on trip to Iran to visit his mother my constituent Anoosheh Ashoori was bundled into a van with a bag over his head.

He was charged with spying by the Iranian authorities, and given a 10-year prison sentence.

The only thing that Anoosheh can be accused of is that he is a family man.

When his father passed away, Anoosheh situated himself in Iran to take over the family civil engineering business.

Anoosheh, Sherry and their young family then moved back to the UK in 2004.

Anoosheh spent the next decade working tirelessly to make his business successful in the UK. In 2015, they moved into their dream home in Lewisham, and planned their retirement.

After his arrest he was placed in Evin prison, which is known for the psychological and physical torture of its prisoners.

There have been reports of mock executions, beatings, brutal interrogations, and solitary confinement of prisoners.

Due to the conditions he was placed in, Anoosheh tried to end his life multiple times, feeling unable to cope and to survive any longer.

Earlier this year he went on hunger strike for 17 days.

After years of campaigning by Anoosheh’s family, myself and organisations such as Amnesty International UK; on 17 March 2022 Anoosheh and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe were released from prison.

Their release came after the UK paid back money it owed Tehran for a tank deal that, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, was not fulfilled.

After Anoosheh had time to process his trauma, I organised a reception to celebrate Anoosheh’s release in the Speaker’s House in Parliament.

His family, MPs, Lords, journalists, and all those who campaigned for his release during his detention all came together. It was a fantastic event.

It was important Anoosheh had the chance to meet in person all those who stood up for him and for those who stood up against injustice.

What Anoosheh went through was wrong. He lost five years of his life that cannot be returned to him.

He has survivors’ guilt and will devote a lot of time and attention to help free other detainees in Iran who are in Evin.

The Foreign Affairs committee are holding an inquiry into foreign hostage taking.

As Anoosheh’s MP I have submitted evidence, so the Government learns the lessons of the past five years and improves their response to hostage taking.

There are many hostages still detained and they also need to be released. The fight goes on.

 

Pictured: Janet Daby (far right) with Anoosheh Ashoori (third from left) and the Speaker and friends at the Speaker’s House