A British entrepreneur, Anoosheh Ashoori, who was imprisoned in Tehran at the same time as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and released on the same day, participated in the London marathon to raise funds for rescuing Iranian dogs. Ashoori, 72, expressed his dismay over the treatment of dogs by the Iranian regime and dedicated part of his fundraising efforts to saving these animals. By completing the race in 5 hours and 57 minutes, he raised £3,400 to assist in the rescue of dogs from Iran.
According to Ashoori, dogs in Iran are subjected to poisoning and shooting by authorities, leading to a dire situation where private shelters are striving to save and relocate these animals to new homes outside the country. He refrained from disclosing the names of these shelters to protect them from potential harassment or closure by authorities. Recalling his time in captivity, where he endured 1677 days as a hostage, Ashoori recounted hearing gunshots at night as municipal workers targeted the dogs, leaving them in agonizing pain.
Maintaining a strong bond with Zaghari-Ratcliffe post their shared ordeal, Ashoori emphasized their joint advocacy for change in Iran. He highlighted his passion for advocating on behalf of the neglected dogs in Iran, postponing a scheduled shoulder operation to participate in the marathon. Ashoori stressed the importance of addressing the suffering inflicted by the regime on both humans and animals, calling for citizen action to accelerate the removal of the oppressive government.
Having been released on 16 March 2022, Ashoori, a British-Iranian businessman, had been detained in Evin jail in Iran since August 2017. Accused of espionage for Mossad and acquiring illicit wealth, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August 2019. Ashoori’s fundraising page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/anoosheh-ashoori-1.