THIRTEEN female MSs came together with members of the Cardiff Amnesty Group to stand in solidarity with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who remains detained in Iran.

The 42-year-old mother-of-one was sentenced to another year in prison in April and has been banned from leaving Iran on charges of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic."

Dawn Bowden, Jayne Bryant, Hannah Blythyn, Rebecca Evans, Jane Hutt, Lesley Griffiths, Julie Morgan, Eluned Morgan, Lynne Neagle, Jenny Rathbone, Janet Finch-Saunders, Joyce Watson and Sioned Williams joined the Amnesty group and Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's sister-in-law, Rebecca Ratcliffe, who is a GP in Cwmbran.

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On the steps of the Senedd, members held a giant 'Chain of care' made by the Cardiff Amnesty Group and the Free Nazanin campaign in 2019 in a bid to stand in solidarity with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and to keep pressure on the UK Government to secure her release.

The knitted chain - 500 metres long with 2,810 links and 3,343,900 stitches - has been created from knitting items donated by Amnesty supporters across the country.

Ms Ratcliffe said: “Five years ago this June, we were here on the steps of the Senedd for our first vigil for Nazanin in Wales. It was where we first met members of the Cardiff Amnesty Group.

“Little did we know back then that after five gruelling years we’d be here again, still campaigning for her freedom. But here we are, and it is wonderful to see so many female members of Senedd - from across the political spectrum - holding up the ‘Chain of care’.

“This heart-warming display of Welsh political support means so much to Nazanin and our family. We are so touched.”

Jenny Rathbone, Cardiff Central MS, coordinated the event with Senedd Members.

She said: “Women members from across the political spectrum stand in solidarity with Nazanin, appreciating the anguish of being parted from her daughter at such a formative time in a child’s life.

“We need to keep up the pressure on the UK government to end this injustice.”

Lauren Caley, chair of the Cardiff Amnesty Group, said: “It was wonderful to see Welsh politicians stand together in support of Nazanin and call for her release.

“Nazanin should have returned to her family in the UK in March this year when her initial wrongful sentence ended, and we will continue to campaign for her freedom until this injustice ceases and she’s back home.”