What's Her Crime?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37321030
just being a woman is a serious crime to Islam it would seem.

[Gromit]

It is not unusual for spies to work under cover of working for a news agency or aid agency. This woman ticks both boxes so would have been under suspicion.

I assume she will eventually be released in some deal as spies usually are.

[agchristie]

Baffling case.

[Gromit]

Daily Telegraph:
// Iran’s Revolutionary Court has previously accused the charity worker of trying to overthrow the country’s clerical government.
They claim she took part in anti-regime protests in 2009 and was involved in plotting a “soft toppling” of its leaders. //

So she was already on their radar. There is no denial that she took part in anti Government Protests. Whilst that would not be a crime here, it would be noted by our Security Services who would use it to form a case later if needed.

[Gromit]

The Guardian (in June)
// Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards released a statement on Wednesday accusing the 37-year-old of being the ringleader of a network of “hostile institutions” associated with foreign intelligence agencies. Richard Ratcliffe called the allegations extraordinary, untrue and farcical. //

// The semi-official Fars news agency published a statement on Wednesday attributed to a local division of the Revolutionary Guards in Kerman province. Fars, which is affiliated with the Guards, called Zaghari-Ratcliffe a “British-Iranian female spy” in its headline.
"She was a member of foreign companies and organisations that planned and carried out media and cyber projects with the intent of a soft overthrow of the holy Islamic Republic government,” the Guards’ statement said, according to Fars. “This person was one of the main ring leaders in a network of hostile institutions that were operating in recent years under the supervision of foreign government’s spying and media services.” //

It also notes:
// Tehran engaged in a prisoner swap with Washington in January, when it secured the release of a group of Iranians held in US jails in exchange for dual nationals from the US held in Iranian prisons. //

So expect some Iranian prisoners to be relased in the not too distant future.

[ToraToraTora]

well congrats on your new role as ambassador for Iran Gromit!

[Gromit]

Thanks Tora.
Eh?

[THECORBYLOON]

TTT, since when did leading a "foreign-linked hostile network".' mean it was a crime to be female?