Page 8 - IRANRptMay20
P. 8
the Fund for the last 50 years even as we have fulfilled our obligations. If they [the IMF] do not fulfil their duties in these difficult circumstances, the world will have a different take on this issue."
2.5 Iran grants temporary releases to 1,000 foreign prisoners and extends Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s furlough
Iran said on April 21 that it has given temporary releases to more than 1,000 foreign prisoners so that they can better protect themselves against the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
"What Iran has done in guaranteeing prisoners' health and granting furlough to them is a significant move [compared to other countries’ efforts]", Gholamhossein Esmaili, a spokesman for the country's judiciary, said.
British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was among 100,000 prisoners temporarily released last month. The mother-of-one has had her leave extended until May 20, her lawyer, Tulip Siddiq, said on April 21.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was serving a five-year jail term for sedition. She was arrested in 2016 during a holiday on espionage allegations and for plotting to overthrow the regime. Her family says she was simply visiting relatives and that there is no truth in the charges.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency.
Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, who lives in London with their daughter told ITV News on April 21 that it had become deeply unsettling for his wife to have this "to and fro every other day".
“Some days it really feels like gratuitous power games. But now we look to [the next move of the Iranian authorities] ... and hope for them to be brave, and take the next step in letting her go.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe has to wear an ankle tag during her extended furlough and can only go within a 300-metre range of her parents’ home.
Other British and foreign nationals remain in jail in Iran including dual Australian-British academic Kylie Moor Gilbert who was held in the country while conducting research.
Iran continues to hold several other foreign nationals on dubious charges.
2.6 EU loans €20mn to Iran for humanitarian purposes in coronavirus fight
The EU has extended a loan to Iran that is to be used for humanitarian purposes in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, spokesman for the bloc Peter Stano told Trend News Agency on April 19. Iran has received funding to help with its battle against its virus outbreak from several sources in recent days including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank (WB), which offered €50mn and €150mn, respectively, ISNA reported.
The EU loan is likely to be used for medical and testing equipment.
"The EU cares for partners in need and continues to help the countries most
8 IRAN Country Report May 2020 www.intellinews.com
