British-Iranian mother who is currently detained in Iran has had her passport returned and could be freed within days, although her release date is still unknown.
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The mother-of-one, who holds dual British-Iranian citizenship, has been detained in Iran for almost seven years on charges of plotting against the regime.
Her imprisonment has been linked to a £400 million historic debt that Britain owes Iran.
Mrs. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawyer said he is “hopeful” there would be good news soon, as Tehran and London pressed on with talks about a long-standing debt.
When asked whether she will be released, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani said: “I am hopeful that we will have good news soon.”
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She added that she “understands that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now” discussing her release.
Iranian media has reported that the UK has settled the £400 million it owes the country over the non-delivery of Chieftain tanks in 1979.
However, Iranian Government officials did not comment when asked whether the amount had been paid, Reuters news agency said.
The Foreign Office refused to confirm whether it had settled the debt with Iran or if it expected Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to be released.
A spokesman said: “We continue to explore options to resolve this case and will not comment further as discussions are ongoing.”
Mrs. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 when visiting family in Iran with her daughter Gabriella.
She was jailed for five years on charges of plotting against the regime.
The charity worker was then sentenced to another year’s confinement last April after being accused of “spreading propaganda”.
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