By Joe Middleton For Mailonline
Published: 12:52 GMT, 14 January 2019 | Updated: 13:02 GMT, 14 January 2019
1
View
comments
A jailed British mother has gone on hunger strike over a lack of medical treatment and because the Iranian Revolutionary Guard tried to pressure her into becoming their spy.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi began the protest today in Evin prison after authorities failed to convince them they would get specialist care.
At a press conference today, her husband Richard Ratcliffe, also said the initial three day strike was motivated by Iranian Revolutionary Guard interrogators trying to pressure her into becoming a spy for Iran in late December.
Richard Ratcliffe (left) has said his wife's (far right, pictured with daughter Gabriella) has started her hunger strike in Evin prison, Iran
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent her 40th birthday behind bars in Tehran's Evin Prison last month
He confirmed Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, started the strike on Monday morning after speaking with her on the phone.
Mr Ratcliffe said: 'What really pushed her over the edge was they tried to make her become a spy for Iran against the UK.'
Specifically, he said, they wanted her to spy on the Department for International Development and 'she was told it would be safer for her and safer for her family afterwards if she agreed to do this'.
He added: 'She was told to think about it and that they