Iran’s top rights official urges release of Iranian held in UK
The secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights has urged efforts to secure the release of an Iranian Christian citizen imprisoned in the UK, expressing concerns over the “unfavorable conditions” he faces in British prisons.
Kazem Gharibabadi made the request in a letter addressed to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
He criticized the British government for its opposition to the pardon and repatriation of the Iranian citizen.
“This Iranian citizen, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a British court, has renounced his British citizenship in the hope that he will be freed from prison and return to his country,” he said. “However, the British [government] has still opposed his pardon and deportation.”
Gharibabadi said Richard John has been deprived of even a single day's leave in the past 20 years and has been denied treatment and transfer to a protected hospital.
"Mr. John is by no means in favorable conditions in prison and is deprived of medical and health services. Given Mr. John's dire situation in British prisons, the request of his mother and the acceptance of [that request by] domestic institutions to provide medical and health services to Mr. John, there is no reason not to transfer him to Iran."
The Iranian official said diplomatic and legal efforts should continue with seriousness for John's freedom.
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