Zaghari‑Ratcliffe Criticizes Iran’s Rearrest of Wildlife Activists

Nazanin Zaghari‑Ratcliffe, the British‑Iranian dual‑national who has been held in Iranian custody since 2016, has publicly condemned the recent rearrest of two Iranian environmentalists. Speaking from Evin Prison, she described the arrests as “unimaginably cruel and alarming,” underscoring the growing concern over the treatment of activists in the country.

The detained pair, husband and wife Houman Jokar and Sepideh Kashani, had been working to protect the endangered Asiatic cheetah when they were taken by the Ministry of Intelligence from their home on 1 July. No official justification has been released, and their current whereabouts remain unknown. Kashani had previously been a fellow inmate of Zaghari‑Ratcliffe, a fact that has drawn additional international attention to the case.

The incident adds to a broader pattern of detentions in Iran, raising questions about the motives behind the arrests and the safety of those who engage in environmental and human‑rights work. As of now, no further information has been provided by Iranian authorities regarding the fate of Jokar and Kashani.