Freed U.K. woman says Iran forced her to sign false confession
Freed U.K. woman says Iran forced her to sign false confession
LONDON -
A British-Iranian charity worker who was detained in Tehran for almost six years says she was forced by Iranian officials to sign a false confession to spying before she was freed two months ago.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said British government officials were present at Tehran airport when "under duress" she signed the false admission to spying. She said she was told by Iranian officials that "you won't be able to get on the plane" unless she signed.
"The whole thing of me signing the forced confession was filmed," Zaghari-Ratcliffe told the BBC in an interview broadcast Monday. "It's a tool. So I'm sure they will show that some day."
Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, who represents Zaghari-Ratcliffe's home district in London, said the revelation raised "serious questions" for the British government. She said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss "must set out in Parliament what she knew about this shocking revelation and what consequences it could have for my constituent."
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained at Tehran's airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family in Iran. She was employed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, but she was on vacation at the time of her arrest.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison after she was convicted of plotting the overthrow of Iran's government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups denied. She had been under house arrest at her parents' home in Tehran for the last two years.
She and another dual citizen, Anoosheh Ashoori, were released and flown back to the U.K. in March. Their release came after Britain paid a 400 million pound (US$503 million) debt to Iran stemming from a dispute over tanks that were ordered in the 1970s but were never delivered.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Brown alleges political corruption over Conservative leadership disqualification
Newly disqualified Conservative Party leadership candidate Patrick Brown is alleging political corruption for his ousting from the race over allegations his campaign broke election financing rules.
Conservative party not printing new ballots despite Patrick Brown's disqualification
Despite being disqualified by the Conservative Party of Canada from becoming its next leader, ousted candidate Patrick Brown's name will still appear on the ballot.
Intense video shows worker dangling from crane at Toronto construction site
Video has emerged showing a worker dangling in the air above a Toronto construction site after accidently getting entangled in a tagline attached to a crane.
Air Canada, Pearson again rank No. 1 in delays worldwide; Montreal check-in freezes
Air Canada and Toronto's Pearson airport again claimed the top spots for flight delays on Tuesday, marking at least four days in a row where the country's biggest airline has placed No. 1 of any large carrier worldwide.
Air Canada temporarily bans pets from baggage hold over delays
Air Canada said on Wednesday it will not allow animals in the baggage hold until Sept. 12 due to 'longer than usual' delays at airports, as carriers and airports wrestle with complaints over lost luggage and long lines.
Planning a road trip? Here's how to save money on gas this summer
As gas prices slightly trend down this week after some of the highest national averages seen in recent months, some Canadians may be thinking twice before planning their usual summer road trip plans. CTVNews.ca looks at how drivers can save at the pumps while travelling.
OPINION
OPINION | How much of a mortgage can I afford in Canada?
Prices have been easing slightly recently, but affording a mortgage is still a very difficult task for many Canadians. How much of a mortgage can you afford? Contributor Christopher Liew breaks it down in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
'Most stressful experience': Express Entry draws resume, but long waits take toll
Canada's immigration department is restarting all Express Entry draws for immigration applications Wednesday, after pausing the program 18 months ago during the pandemic.
Climate change will create 'thirsty' ecosystems, new study suggests
A new study by climate scientists suggests some 'hot spot regions' around the world contain ecosystems that are at-risk due to water availability.
Canada
-
Intense video shows worker dangling from crane at Toronto construction site
Video has emerged showing a worker dangling in the air above a Toronto construction site after accidently getting entangled in a tagline attached to a crane.
-
Video shows suspect in disturbing machete attack in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
Weeks after a terrifying machete attack in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, authorities have yet to identify the person responsible – but new surveillance video is offering a glimpse of a suspect.
-
'Not a time when Quebec can afford to lose young doctors,' province's opposition leader says of ER exodus
The leader of Quebec's Liberal Party paused her vacation briefly on Wednesday to react to the news that two young emergency room doctors have quit their jobs in their hometown of Montreal to work in Toronto.
-
Emergency room delays to continue for 'quite some time,' doctor warns
An emergency room physician is urging governments to address the country’s shortfall of health-care workers in light of the recent temporary shutdowns of emergency departments and the staffing downsizing at others.
-
RCMP officer charged with assault in relation to violent 2021 Campbellton, N.B., arrest
An RCMP officer has been charged following an investigation by Quebec's police watchdog into a violent arrest in Campbellton, N.B., last summer.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Man sentenced to 15.5 years for kidnapping, sexually assaulting Edmonton girl
Wade Stene, who admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting an eight-year-old Edmonton girl, was sentenced to 15.5 years behind bars Wednesday afternoon.
World
-
Prince Charles meets granddaughter Lilibet for the first time, royal office confirms
Prince Charles has met his granddaughter Lilibet for the first time, the prince's office confirmed to CTVNews.ca. According to reports, it was a 'very emotional' first meeting, which took place during the Platinum Jubilee.
-
July 4 parade suspect contemplated 2nd shooting: police
The man charged with killing seven people at an Independence Day parade confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop in suburban Chicago and then fled to the Madison, Wis., area, where he contemplated shooting up an event there, authorities said Wednesday.
-
Jayland Walker was handcuffed when his body arrived at the medical examiner's office: autopsy report
Jayland Walker was handcuffed behind his back when his body arrived at the coroner's office to be processed as part of the investigation into the officers who shot and killed him in Akron last week, according to a medical examiner's report that was reviewed by CNN.
-
Chauvin faces future in federal prison for Floyd's death
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is about to swap solitary confinement at Minnesota's only maximum security prison for an unknown future at a federal prison where, despite his national notoriety for killing George Floyd, he'll probably be safer.
-
Police: July 4 mass shooting thwarted in Virginia's capital
Police in Richmond, Virginia, said Wednesday that they thwarted a planned July 4 mass shooting after receiving a tip that led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of multiple guns - an announcement that came just two days after a deadly mass shooting on the holiday in a Chicago suburb.
-
Wisconsin court: Sex trafficking can be defence for homicide
A woman accused of killing a man can argue at trial that she was justified because he was sexually trafficking her, Wisconsin's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that could help define the limits of legal immunity for trafficking victims nationwide.
Politics
-
Brown alleges political corruption over Conservative leadership disqualification
Newly disqualified Conservative Party leadership candidate Patrick Brown is alleging political corruption for his ousting from the race over allegations his campaign broke election financing rules.
-
Conservative party not printing new ballots despite Patrick Brown's disqualification
Despite being disqualified by the Conservative Party of Canada from becoming its next leader, ousted candidate Patrick Brown's name will still appear on the ballot.
-
Ukrainian Canadian Congress calls on Canada to lead effort to oust Russia from G20
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress wants Canada to up the pressure on Vladimir Putin's regime and lead a global charge to get Russia expelled from the G20.
Health
-
How an increasingly popular supplement landed a man in the hospital
A British man's overdose on vitamin D is a cautionary tale for people who are considering adding supplements to their lives, according to a paper published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
-
U.S. to diversify infant formula industry to avoid shortages
The Biden administration is looking to help foreign makers of baby formula stay on the U.S. market for the long term, in an effort to diversify the industry after the closure of the largest domestic plant sparked a nationwide shortage.
-
Canada records 358 cases of monkeypox; Quebec reports most cases
Canada has recorded 358 cases of monkeypox as of Wednesday, according to an update posted by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Sci-Tech
-
Contact restored with NASA spacecraft headed to lunar orbit
NASA said Wednesday that contact has been restored with its US$32.7 million spacecraft headed to the moon to test out a lopsided lunar orbit.
-
Alleged Chinese police database hack leaks data of 1 billion
Hackers claim to have obtained a trove of data on 1 billion Chinese from a Shanghai police database in a leak that, if confirmed, could be one of the largest data breaches in history.
-
World's largest waterlily identified as new species
An enormous waterlily in London's Royal Botanic Gardens has been discovered to belong to an entirely new species, after 177 years in the gardens' herbarium.
Entertainment
-
Carlos Santana suffered heat exhaustion during a Michigan concert
Legendary musician Carlos Santana suffered a medical emergency Tuesday night during a performance in Michigan, according to his management team.
-
Clement Virgo's 'Brother' to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Clement Virgo's adaptation of a coming-of-age novel set in Toronto's hip hop scene is bound for the Toronto International Film Festival.
-
Taika Waititi takes a hammer to Thor in 'Love & Thunder'
To a large degree, modern blockbuster moviemaking has depended on the appeasement of fans to keep franchise juggernauts smoothly humming. But in making "Thor: Love and Thunder," Taika Waititi had no interest in that. He approached the film from the opposite direction. What would actually make fans angry?
Business
-
OPINION
OPINION | How much of a mortgage can I afford in Canada?
Prices have been easing slightly recently, but affording a mortgage is still a very difficult task for many Canadians. How much of a mortgage can you afford? Contributor Christopher Liew breaks it down in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
-
CMHC says residential mortgage debt grew last year by fastest pace since 2008
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says residential mortgage debt grew by nine per cent last year compared with a year earlier for the fastest pace of growth since 2008.
-
OPEC secretary-general dies weeks shy of departure
The Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has died, Nigerian authorities and the oil cartel announced Wednesday. Only hours before his death, he'd met with Nigeria's president and spoken in defence of the energy industry amid increasing climate change pressure.
Lifestyle
-
Unclaimed $15M lottery ticket sold last August in B.C. set to expire
Someone in British Columbia could be sitting on a lottery ticket worth a whopping $15 million – but there's only a few weeks left to claim the jackpot.
-
Spain's famous Bull Run festival back after 2-year hiatus
Thousands of revellers erupted in celebration Wednesday as the traditional 'chupinazo' firework was ignited to start the San Fermin bull-run festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona, ending a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
-
Sports
-
Montreal swimmer says she was drugged at world championships
Montreal swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey says she was drugged on the final day of the world aquatics championships and suffered a rib sprain and a concussion.
-
Former NHL defenceman Bryan Marchment dies at 53
Former NHL defenceman Bryan Marchment died unexpectedly Wednesday in Montreal, his agent said. He was 53.
-
Former Oiler Mike Grier becomes NHL's first Black GM
The San Jose Sharks named Mike Grier as the NHL's first Black general manager on Tuesday.
Autos
-
Auto sales down 11.5 per cent in June from a year earlier
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants says Canadian auto sales were down 11.5 per cent in June compared with a year earlier as supply challenges persist.
-
Lewis Hamilton backs environmental protests, but not their methods as protestors invade British GP track
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has said he supports the cause of environmentalist group Just Stop Oil, but not some of its methods after group members invaded the track during the British Grand Prix.
-
B.C. judge dismisses realtor's claim dealership misled him about Ford Mustang
A Vancouver Island real estate agent has lost his bid to recover a deposit he made on a new Ford Mustang that he intended to offer as a prize in a year-long contest in 2020.
