Tehran mom back in court charged with 'propaganda'

British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe appeared in a Tehran court yesterday to face new charges of "propaganda against the system," a week after she finished serving a five-year sentence, her lawyer said.

The hearing has dashed hopes of family and supporters for a swift release of the 42-year-old, in a case that has heightened diplomatic tensions between London and Tehran.

Hojjat Kermani said the judgment would be handed down later.

The 42-year-old dual national was prosecuted for "propaganda against the system for taking part in a rally in front of the Iranian embassy in London" in 2009.

"Given the evidence presented by the defense and the legal process, and the fact that my client has also served her previous sentence, I hope that she will be acquitted," the lawyer added.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained while on holiday in 2016 and convicted of plotting to overthrow the regime in Tehran - accusations she denied.

She has been under house arrest for months and had her ankle tag removed, allowing her to visit relatives in Tehran.

After her release, her husband, Richard, and their six-year-old daughter, Gabriella, held a vigil outside the Iranian embassy in London demanding she be allowed home.