ACCORDING to online reports, the family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was sentenced to five years in an Iranian prison for national security related crimes last month, has refused to pay £125,000 demanded for her release.

Nazanin, 38, who works as a project manager for the Thomson-Reuters Foundation, was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on April 3, as she waited for her flight back to the UK after visiting family in Iran, alongside her young daughter Gabriella.

Nazanin’s family in Iran were approached by an offer of releasing Nazanin, wife to ex-Farnham boy Richard Ratcliffe, from Evin Prison where she is currently detained, for a large sum of £125,000.

The out-of-the-blue offer came from an individual who claimed to have links with the judiciary, which made them capable of assisting Nazanin with her release – however, payment was not required up front but only after her release.

The offer was turned down by Nazanin’s father due to the “ghastly” amount asked for - according to online reports, this decision has been welcomed by UK family members and the Free Nazanin Campaign.