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'Why I did a six-day hunger strike aged 89’

Barrister Margaret Owen OBE on her hunger strike in support of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Eighty-nine-year-old barrister Margaret Owen OBE recently embarked on a six-day hunger strike to raise awareness of the case of British-Iranian detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Nazanin has been detained in Iran for five years on spying charges and lost an appeal against a second jail sentence in October. She’s currently under house arrest in her parents' home in Tehran.

Margaret’s protest followed the 21-day hunger strike by Nazanin’s husband Richard Ratcliffe outside the Foreign Office.

Her hunger strike ended last week and she joined Emma Barnett on Woman’s Hour to talk about why she felt it was important to do.

You can hear Margaret and Emma’s conversation in full by listening to the 30 November episode of Woman’s Hour on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Sounds.

We received a statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office about the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe:

“Iran’s decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through. Iran should urgently release all those British nationals unfairly detained in Iran.

“We are doing all we can to help all unfairly detained British nationals in Iran get home to their families. We will continue to press Iran on this issue at every opportunity.â€

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2 minutes