Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has not been granted an extension to her temporary release from imprisonment in Iran and has returned to Evin prison, her husband Richard Ratcliffe has said.
In a statement, Ratcliffe said his wife was told by the Iranian authorities that she would have to return to the prison by sunset.
He said: “After discussion with her family in Iran, Nazanin decided that she would go into prison. She did not want to be dragged out of the house in front of her baby, but would walk into prison with her head held high.
“She wanted to say goodbye to Gabriella calmly and left her in the care of her mother. Her father has taken Nazanin back to prison.”
The British-Iranian citizen has been detained by Iranian authorities since 2016 for allegedly seeking to overthrow the government.
She was released from Evin prison on Thursday morning and was reunited with her family, including her young daughter, Gabriella, 4.
Her lawyer and husband had both been hopeful the release would be extended.
On Thursday, Richard Ratcliffe told ITV’s This Morning his wife had slept next to their daughter, Gabriella, for the first time since being detained in 2016.
He said: “She was telling me the fact that she wanted Gabriella to have a bath and bathe her.
“Last night, they slept next to each other. In the morning Gabriella said, ‘Oh, it’s you mummy, I thought it would be Granny.’”
The new Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has been instrumental in negotiations and is reportedly considering granting Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic immunity in an attempt to expedite her release.
Ratcliffe said: “Before, we had some baggage with the former Foreign Secretary [Boris Johnson], he then clearly tried to do his best. It got to a certain point and then it got to a lull.
“Jeremy Hunt’s come in and he’s been our lucky charm certainly, she’s now out of prison, we’ve had movement. He’s made some strong noises, obviously there has been work behind the scenes all along, so it’s not to sort of give him all the glory or equally to give his predecessor all the blame. It will have been battled.
“I’m pleased with my Foreign Secretary at the moment.”