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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Matthew Dresch

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe beams in first family selfie since end of Iran nightmare

This is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's first selfie with her husband and daughter since landing back in the UK after her six-year nightmare in Iran.

The 43-year-old was pictured smiling with her husband Richard and their daughter Gabriella in front of a bed of daffodils.

The mum's local MP Tulip Siddiq said it was the family's "first selfie" after Nazanin's release from house arrest in Iran.

Tweeting the picture, Labour's Mrs Siddiq said the reunited couple spoke with her about Morad Tahbaz, who has not been allowed to leave Iran after being released from prison on furlough.

Mrs Siddiq said they were both "relentless in their pursuit of justice".

Nazanin, a British-Iranian charity worker, landed back on British soil in the early hours of Thursday, along with fellow dual national, Anoosheh Ashoori.

They touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire shortly after 1am.

Heartwarming pictures showed Nazanin reunited with her husband and daughter for the first time in years.

Gabriella was heard asking "is that mummy?" as Nazanin departed the plane.

In a video shared on Instagram by Anoosheh Ashoori’s daughter Elika Ashoori, Gabriella shouted “mummy” as Nazanin walked down the plane’s stairs.

The seven-year-old girl was pictured running excitedly around the room and being carried on her mother’s hip.

Nazanin spent six years imprisoned in Iran but is now finally back in Britain (Getty Images)

Tears of joy can be heard as the family were reunited and Nazanin could not stop hugging and showering her daughter with kisses.

Her release came after the UK finally agreed to settle a £400 million debt dating back to the 1970s.

Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said the Government was working to secure the return of Mr Tahbaz, telling BBC Breakfast: "He also has American nationality, which has in the eyes of the Iranians - not in ours - made his case more complicated."

He added: "We will continue to work to secure his release and, obviously, we work in close co-ordination with the US on these issues as well."

In a tweet on Thursday evening, Ms Siddiq said: "So lovely to have uplifting conversations with Richard and Nazanin today.

She arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at shortly after 1am on Thursday morning (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Brit had an emotional reunion with her daughter and husband after touching down in the UK (Free Nazanin campaign/AFP via Ge)

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"They are both relentless in their pursuit of justice and raised the plight of Morad Tahbaz with me. Here I was hoping to sleep for a week...

"Here's their first family selfie! £NazaninIsFree."

One charity worker with experience of hostages has warned there is usually a "long journey" back to normality following release.

Lara Symons, 53, chief executive of charity Hostage International, said the organisation had helped many "trauma hostages".

She told the PA news agency: "From that experience, we've learnt that this is a new journey. This is a long journey.

"I think when people think about normal life, they think about the life that they led before and, sadly, to some extent, that is not possible.

"You can't go back to that because both you as a hostage and your family have been changed quite a lot by the experience."

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