Prisonnière 951, a British miniseries inspired by the real story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is available on arte.tv until 15 December 2026 and will air on Arte on Thursday, 17 September 2026 at 8:55 p.m.. This four-episode drama reunites Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes in the roles of the Zaghari-Ratcliffe couple.
In April 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British citizen, was about to leave Iran after visiting her family. Arrested at Tehran's airport by the Revolutionary Guards, she was detained, interrogated, and moved repeatedly. Her captors then coerced her into signing false confessions accusing her of plotting to topple the Iranian regime. Found guilty, she was assigned prisoner number 951.
In London, her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, squares off against official silence and the sluggish machinery of British diplomacy. He launches a lengthy public campaign to win Nazanin's release, while she battles isolation, pressure, and the conditions of her confinement. Her imprisonment lasts six years, ending with her return to the United Kingdom in March 2022.
Narges Rashidi, awarded the 2026 BAFTA for Best Actress, portrays Nazanin opposite Joseph Fiennes in the role of Richard. Bijan Daneshmand, Behi Djanati-Atai, Kavé Niku, Nicholas Farrell, Marion Bailey, Ella Varavipour, Armin Karima and Zanyar Mohammadi round out the cast. Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe from a script by Stephen Butchard, the miniseries is produced by Dancing Ledge Productions.
Prisonnière 951 tracks Nazanin’s time behind bars and her husband’s campaign to mobilize support. The series also spotlights the political and diplomatic stakes surrounding her detention. The first episode, 70 minutes long, airs on Arte on September 17 at 8:55 p.m. The four episodes are available on arte.tv until December 15, 2026.
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