Iran TV airs new footage of jailed UK-Iranian detainee

Nicosia: Iranian television has published new footage of the arrest of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe at Tehran airport in 2016, before she was sentenced to five years in prison.

The footage, aired on Wednesday and seemingly recorded on a smartphone, shows Zaghari-Ratcliffe being approached in April 2016 by security agents at Imam Khomeini Airport, who take her passport and start questioning her. It was shown as part of a multi-series documentary on "enemies' interference in domestic affairs," the Judiciary's news agency Mizan reported. "I am the prosecutor's representative and have a warrant for your arrest," says a voice off the camera, as she looks concerned.

"You've been barred from leaving the country and must come with us to the prosecutor's office so that your charges are explained to you and your issue is resolved." Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation -- the media organisation's philanthropic arm -- is serving a five-year jail sentence for sedition. She has denied all charges filed against her. Last week, she announced plans along with prominent rights activist Narges Mohammadi, to go on hunger strike from January 14 to 16 in Tehran's Evin prison to protest against the denial of medical treatment.

The documentary, titled "Out of Sight" was first aired on Ofogh TV channel. The channel was launched on June 3, 2014 and started with "analytical programmes" on the Iranian revolution and the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, according to its manager Mohsen Naji, semi-official news agency Mehr reported. It has since moved toward entertainment programmes and documentaries.