Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian human rights campaigner, author and keynote speaker whose life and work have come to symbolise the human cost of political power and injustice. Best known for surviving six years of wrongful imprisonment in Iran, her story became one of the most high-profile diplomatic crises of the 21st century. Since returning to the UK in 2022, Nazanin has transformed personal trauma into public purpose, emerging as a respected voice on resilience, justice and accountability, and one of the most compelling speakers working on the global stage today.

Born and raised in Tehran, Nazanin studied English literature at the University of Tehran, developing a deep appreciation for language, storytelling and cultural exchange. Early in her career, she worked as a translator during the Bam earthquake relief effort, an experience that shaped her commitment to humanitarian work and public service. She went on to work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and later the World Health Organization, where she served as a communications officer, refining the skills that would later underpin her advocacy. In 2007, Nazanin moved to the UK on a scholarship to study for an MSc in Communication Management at London Metropolitan University, a formative step that expanded her international outlook and professional ambitions.

Nazanin’s professional career included roles with BBC World Service Trust and later the Thomson Reuters Foundation, where she worked as a project coordinator and project manager supporting media development and global civil society initiatives. In 2016, while travelling to Iran with her young daughter, she was arbitrarily detained and falsely accused of crimes she consistently denied. Her subsequent imprisonment, including prolonged solitary confinement, became a focal point for international human rights organisations and governments worldwide. Following her release, Nazanin has received major recognition for her courage and advocacy, including being named to BBC 100 Women, winning Harper’s Bazaar Woman of the Year, and receiving the Courage Under Fire Award from the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards. Her story has since reached millions through the BBC drama series ‘Prisoner 951’ and her co-authored book ‘A Yard of Sky’.

Today, Nazanin is sought after as a keynote speaker because she brings rare credibility, emotional intelligence and moral clarity to complex issues. She speaks powerfully on human rights, resilience under extreme pressure, the psychological impact of imprisonment, women and freedom under authoritarian regimes, diplomacy, media responsibility and the long shadow political decisions cast over ordinary lives. Audiences value her ability to connect global policy to lived experience, offering insights that resonate with leaders, organisations and communities facing uncertainty and ethical challenge. Nazanin does not offer abstract theory, she shares lessons learned the hard way, with honesty, empathy and hope, leaving audiences with a deeper understanding of freedom, responsibility and the resilience of the human spirit.