{"id":366160,"date":"2026-07-14T13:28:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T07:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=366160"},"modified":"2026-07-14T13:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T07:58:25","slug":"my-dad-would-not-have-been-kidnapped-if-the-irgc-were-proscribed-as-terrorists-sooner-news-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/14\/my-dad-would-not-have-been-kidnapped-if-the-irgc-were-proscribed-as-terrorists-sooner-news-world\/","title":{"rendered":"‘My dad would not have been kidnapped if the IRGC were proscribed as terrorists sooner’ | News World"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Anoosheh Ashoori, a former Iranian prisoner, who septn five years within the notorious Evin jail (Picture: Anoosheh Ashoori\/PA Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A girl whose dad was held hostage by the IRGC for five years has said if the federal government had proscribed the group years ago it will have saved \u2018countless lives\u2019. <\/p>\n

Elika Ashoori\u2019s dad Anoosheh, a British-Iranian civil engineer, was suddenly detained after travelling to go to his mum in August 2017. <\/p>\n

He was freed in March 2022 after five years within the notorious Evin jail alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe after a five-year fight. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless it was only yesterday the federal government confirmed they were proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), despite there being years of \u2018threats to life and intimidation on UK soil\u2019.<\/p>\n

Elika told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018As we battled for my dad\u2019s release, we realised that the IRGC was on the core of every part that has happened to British residents by the Iranian state.<\/p>\n

\u2018The federal government has buried its head within the sand for years. By not proscribing them, we were partaking.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Anoosheh arriving in Oman with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe after being free of prison
(Picture: Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Just two weeks ago, two men were jailed for stabbing a journalist outside of his home in Wimbledon. George Stana and Nandito Bandea were found to have attacked Pouria Zeraati in a proxy operation linked to the Iranian state. <\/p>\n

Pouria works for Iran International, which is critical of the Iranian government.<\/p>\n

The IRGC \u2018almost definitely\u2019 directed a linked group, The Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, to perform a spate of anti-semitic attacks. <\/p>\n

This includes the torching of volunteer ambulances and setting fires at synagogues. <\/p>\n

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: \u2018We are going to never let Britain be a playground for states who need to spread fear, division and violence on our streets.<\/p>\n

\u2018Anyone acting on behalf of those that\u00a0threaten our national security\u00a0ought to be in little question that there is no such thing as a place for you in Britain.\u2019<\/p>\n

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But Elika said the words are coming \u2018too late\u2019 for many individuals whose lives have been decimated by the regime. <\/p>\n

She said: \u2018The IRGC is a bank and a training centre for radicalism internationally. I’m not surprised at the extent of anti-semitic attacks in London, particularly Golders Green. <\/p>\n

\u2018But we must always have put things to stop them, equivalent to proscription, in motion way before this. Perhaps all of this, including my dad being kidnapped, wouldn’t have happened in the event that they were proscribed years ago.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Under recent state threat powers, anyone supporting or assisting the groups will face a maximum punishment of 14 years in prison, but ministers will need parliamentary approval first.<\/p>\n

The Government has already announced that greater than \u00a3250 million is to be invested in increasing policing in Jewish communities.<\/p>\n

The increased funding will see a surge in police presence, patrols, and protecting security outside synagogues and schools, in addition to specialist plain-clothes officers in Jewish communities.<\/p>\n

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: \u2018Iran and Russia are using proxies and thugs to do their dirty work on our shores.<\/p>\n

\u2018I actually have rapidly designated three groups so those working for them will probably be tracked down and put behind bars.<\/p>\n

\u2018I’ll leave no stone unturned to maintain our country secure.\u2019<\/p>\n

Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Australian police release recent images of British backpacker Peter Falconio in bid to \u2018find his stays\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Britain\u2019s heatwaves killed hundreds \u2013 we want to get up<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: The three groups now labelled a threat to the UK\u2019s national security<\/span><\/p>\n

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Anoosheh Ashoori, a former Iranian prisoner, who septn five years within the notorious Evin jail (Picture: Anoosheh Ashoori\/PA Wire) A girl whose dad was held hostage by the IRGC for five years has said if the federal government had proscribed the group years ago it will have saved \u2018countless lives\u2019. Elika Ashoori\u2019s dad Anoosheh, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":366161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20691],"tags":[556,53848,19562,395,53849,9645,43298,813,8745],"class_list":["post-366160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-dad","tag-irgc","tag-kidnapped","tag-news","tag-proscribed","tag-sooner","tag-terrorists","tag-world","tag-wouldnt"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t