I was held hostage in an Iranian prison with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – one important thing helped me survive

After being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison for years, Anoosheh Ashoori was finally released to reunite with his family and continue his life in London. On the second anniversary of his release, he explains what kept him going during his ordeal – and how you can help those currently going through the same thing

Anoosheh Ashoori and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe were both released from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison two years ago (Anoosheh Ashoori)

Some people will remember me from those TV images where I’m coming down the steps of a plane alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

That was two years ago. After deeply gruelling experiences we’d both been released from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where we’d spent years unfairly jailed. And here we were, back in the UK. It felt like a dream.

For me, there’s a before-Evin and there’s very much an after-Evin. Up until the moment of my arrest in 2017, I was a perfectly ordinary Iranian-British dual citizen. My roots were in Iran but a passion for aerospace led to me coming to the UK aged 18 to study aeronautics at Cranfield University. Then I was back in Iran, helping my father with his work in the construction industry.