The latest twist in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who holds dual UK-Iranian nationality, comes after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s visit to the country earlier this month.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s sister-in-law, Rebecca Jones, said: “She’s spoken to her lawyer, she’s seen her lawyer yesterday, and her lawyer has now discovered that on a judiciary database, her case is marked eligible for early release – that’s a change, we thought it was always a closed case.
“It doesn’t mean to say she is going to get early release, but it’s definitely a positive step that she has been marked eligible for early release.
“The lawyer is much more positive and Nazanin is much more positive.”
Richard Ratcliffe said he was “cautious” about the news but hoped his wife, who was arrested in 2016 during a holiday visit to show their daughter Gabriella to her parents, would be home soon.
He told Sky News: “It is definitely a positive step. I’m probably a bit cautious to see just how positive.
“There has not been any confirmation to her from the prosecutor so, what she got told, there is still some paperwork to finalise, so hopefully by Christmas, but Christmas is not very far away at all.
“But it’s definitely good news and fingers crossed now.”
He said since Mr Johnson’s visit there had been “incremental improvement” in her case, including allowing her more phone calls.
He added: “I think it feels like the tide has turned, certainly.”