Maajid Nawaz's Intensely Personal Connection With Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

12 November 2017, 16:27

The LBC presenter opened up about his personal connection to the case of the British national imprisoned in Iran.

British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was visiting family in Iran when she was accused of spying and and spreading propaganda.

She has been imprisoned thus far for 18 months but will face additional charges after a gaffe by Boris Johnson.

The blustering Foreign Secretary said she was "training journalists" in Iran and is believed to have potentially added another five additional years to her sentence.

Nazanin was travelling with her two-year-old baby when she was arrested.

Maajid Nawaz said he knew exactly how it felt to have the police separate you from your newborn, his own one-year-old son was in his arms when he was arrested in Egypt.

He said: "Nazanin was torn from her child at the point of arrest.

"I feel particularly strongly about this because the same happened to me. I had my then one-year-old in my arms in Egypt.

"He was torn from my arms in exactly the same way and I didn't see him until five years later.

"He's now 17 and we're somewhat estranged, but it all began there in Egypt."

Watch the clip at the top of this page.

More Maajid Nawaz

See more More Maajid Nawaz

Maajid Nawaz blasts No10's alleged double standards on Covid rules

Maajid Nawaz blasts No10's alleged double standards on Covid rules

Maajid Nawaz's powerful reaction to 'woke' Christmas ban

Maajid Nawaz's powerful reaction to 'woke' Christmas ban

'Want to stop channel crossings? Stop invading foreign countries'

'Want to stop channel crossings? Stop invading foreign countries'

Maajid Nawaz: 'Tory sleaze the Achilles heel of government'

Maajid Nawaz: 'Tory sleaze the Achilles heel of government'

Exclusive
Whistleblower exposes UN leaks of Chinese dissident information

Whistleblower exposes UN leaks of Chinese dissident information

Maajid Nawaz hits back at Prince Charles' climate-call on the private sector

Maajid Nawaz hits back at Prince Charles' climate call on the private sector

Maajid Nawaz defends Jesy Nelson in 'blackfishing' row

Maajid Nawaz defends Jesy Nelson in 'blackfishing' row

Maajid Nawaz: Vetting voters for MP meetings 'further alienates' Brits

Maajid Nawaz: Vetting voters for MP meetings 'further alienates' Brits

Maajid Nawaz: 'Muslims in Southend-on-Sea know and love Sir David Amess'

Maajid Nawaz: Muslims in Southend-on-Sea know and love Sir David Amess

Iain Dale: Make Southend a city to honour Sir David Amess

Iain Dale: Make Southend a city to honour Sir David Amess

Maajid Nawaz backs calls to grant asylum seekers right to work

Maajid Nawaz backs calls to grant asylum seekers right to work

Chinese invasion of Taiwan will spark 'global conflict', Maajid Nawaz fears

Chinese invasion of Taiwan will spark 'global conflict', Maajid Nawaz fears

Maajid Nawaz: Jab deadline for care home workers will 'trigger' winter 'plan B'

Maajid Nawaz: Jab deadline for care home workers will 'trigger' winter 'plan B'

Maajid Nawaz: Troop deployment shows govt 'has monumentally failed' Britain

Maajid Nawaz: Troop deployment shows govt 'has monumentally failed' Britain

Maajid Nawaz: It's 'wrong' for Remainers to say 'I told you so' about lorry driver shortage

Maajid Nawaz: It's wrong for Remainers to say 'I told you so' about lorry driver shortage

Maajid Nawaz clashes with caller 'pinning' HGV driver shortage on Brexit

Maajid Nawaz clashes with caller 'pinning' HGV driver shortage on Brexit