#ForgottenPrisoners

This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital-only tickets are available.In April 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained by Iranian authorities. She was later imprisoned for five years for allegedly plotting to topple the Iranian regime. In that time, the UK left the European Union, there were two Olympic games, the Trump presidency came and went, and a global pandemic brought the world to a standstill. Meanwhile four foreign secretaries, including Boris Johnson, negotiated for Nazanin’s release — all without success.  Some efforts gained more headway than others, but the most promising lead involves the story of a cancelled arms deal and an unpaid debt between the UK and Iran from the 1970s. The UK has agreed to pay the debt, but sanctions, Iran’s connections to terrorism and an unwillingness on the part of the UK to be seen to pay ransoms for hostages mean things aren’t that straightforward. Nazanin’s best hope, and the hopes of other British nationals in similar situations, relies on some complicated geo-political and legal choreography. Following the broadcast of Nazanin, a Tortoise production on BBC Radio 4, join us for a ThinkIn with Richard Ratcliffe, Sherry Izadi and others as we explore how a 1970s arms deal is impacting families today.  editor and invited experts Giles WhittellSensemaker Editor Aryan AshooriSon of Anoosheh Ashoori Richard RatcliffeHusband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Sherry IzadiWife of Anoosheh Ashoori, a British-Iranian citizen accused of spying for Israel and jailed in Iran

Who is Ayatollah Khamenei? How does Iran go forward from their latest confrontation with the US, and what should we understand about the country’s relationship with Britain? Join us for a breakfast ThinkIn that asks what the growing uncertainty in Iran means for the wider world.   Our special guests include: Rt Hon Jack Straw, former foreign secretary Rozita Lotfi, Head of BBC Persian Richard Ratcliffe, accountant and husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe the British-Iranian citizen who has been detained in Iran since 2016   Chair: James Harding, Editor and Co-founder, Tortoise   What is a Tortoise ThinkIn? A ThinkIn is not another panel discussion. It is a forum for civilised disagreement. Modelled on what we call a ‘leader conference’ in the UK (or an editorial board in the US), it is a place where everyone has a seat at the table. It’s where we get to hear what you think, drawn from your experience, energy and expertise. It’s where, together, we sift through what we know to come to a clear, concise point of view. It is the heart of what we do at Tortoise. Breakfast from 07:45, starts promptly at 08:00. If you are late to a ThinkIn you can ‘SlinkIn’! If you would like to contribute to this ThinkIn, let us know by emailing thinkin@tortoisemedia.com We film our Thinkins so we can watch them back, edit the best bits and share them with members who weren’t there in person. Members can find their ThinkIn booking code in My Tortoise, under My Membership.