Freed Nazanin Zhaghari-Ratcliffe joined thousands of protesters in London today calling for regime change in Iran following the death of a woman in police custody.
She and husband Richard, who campaigned tirelessly for her release after being held for five years by the regime, joined the Freedom for Iran demonstration, one of many across the Western world.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror Nazanin said: “I wanted to be in Trafalgar Square with everyone to show solidarity to the Iranian women inside Iran, whether free in the streets standing up for their rights or now locked up in prison for defending them.
“It was overwhelming to see such a large crowd, peacefully supporting people in Iran even though they are far away, and to be hugged and greeted by so many people who had campaigned for me.
“Sometimes we can feel very divided, but not today. “We all can see what is going on. We are all stronger together.”
The protests have been inspired by the death of Mahsa Amini, who died while in morality police custody.
The 22-year-old was arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely and died three days later while in custody in Tehran.
Authorities insisted she suffered a heart attack but her family have disputed the claims saying Mahsa did not have any pre-existing medical conditions.
Since then thousands of Iranian women have removed and burned their head scarves and cut their hair in solidarity.
Nazanin was pictured cutting her hair earlier this week in a video clip posted on social media.
Large gatherings took place in other cities across the world today including Rome, Zurich, Paris, Seoul, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Stockholm and New York in opposition to the Iranian government, which came to power in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution.
Dissidents have labelled the government, led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a ‘brutal dictatorship.’
