A former Iran detainee completed the London Marathon this weekend while wearing his prisoner uniform.
Anoosheh Ashoori, who is an Iranian-British dual national, was accused of being a spy and arrested in 2017. He was imprisoned for 12 years and was finally freed in March, alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
On Sunday, he ran the 26.2 miles to raise awareness and funds for Amnesty International and Hostage International, but also wanted to dedicate his run to Iran.
Ahead of the event, he told told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I have a bigger goal on top of that, which is I am dedicating my run to the people of Iran, to the 85 million prisoners in that country.”
He said while running the course his “heart will be with” the women who have cut their hair in public as part of the protests currently seen in Iran.
The country has seen widespread protests in recent weeks following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being detained by Iran’s so-called “morality police” for breaking hijab laws.
In response, women have been burning hijabs and cutting their hair in acts of protest, mourning and solidarity.
In prison, Ashoori dreamt of running the London Marathon. “I run for an hour at least every day. I have a plan, or a dream, that I will participate in the London Marathon after my release,” Anoosheh said.
“The time restrictions in the gym do not allow me to test myself to discover the unexplored boundaries of my existence, but I hope, dear reader, you will be with me to help me when I run in London.”
But during one point of his imprisonment the the Iranian authorities stopped inmates from using sports facilities, which meant he was forced to find other ways to train.
“They banned the little that they had, so we were practising in a patio, but we were determined to carry on,” he said.
Ashoori took part with his son, Aryan, who now works at Amnesty International as the charity helped the family whilst Anoosheh was imprisoned.