Iran made Ashoori family raise £27,000 in 12 hours to secure his release

Family of freed British-Iranian detainee Anoosheh Ashoori had to pay last-minute fine in cash

The family of the British-Iranian detainee Anoosheh Ashoori had to scramble at the last minute to raise 27,000 to pay a fine to the Iranian government, delivering the money in cash to the authorities in Tehran's Evin prison for it to be counted and authenticated.

The Iranian government told British Foreign Office negotiators late on Monday that his release would be blocked unless the fine, linked to his 10-year jail sentence, was paid the following day. Ashooori was released along with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Wednesday after the UK paid Iran a longstanding 400m debt.