The Foreign Secretary held a positive meeting with
Richard Ratcliffe today to discuss Iran’s continued imprisonment
of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
The Foreign Secretary updated Mr Ratcliffe on the FCO’s efforts
on behalf of his wife, and said that the British Ambassador in
Iran had once again raised the case with the Iranians this
morning and urged:
-
• Consular
access
-
• Appropriate
medical treatment
-
• A
decision on Richard Ratcliffe’s visa application
-
• Access
for Richard Ratcliffe to see his wife if a visit does go ahead
They discussed Mr Ratcliffe’s recent suggestion of diplomatic
protection. The Foreign Secretary and officials outlined that the
key question is whether diplomatic protection will have a
positive impact on the case, given all the representations that
have already been made. They agreed that lawyers should meet in
the coming fortnight to discuss it further.
They also talked about the Foreign Secretary’s plan to visit Iran
before the end of the year and Richard Ratcliffe’s request to
accompany him on that visit. The Foreign Secretary said that our
overriding principle in handling this case is to secure a
permanent family reunion, not a temporary one. Any decision must
be guided by that principle.
The Foreign Secretary concluded the meeting by saying that no
stone would be left unturned in the case of Mrs
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and that of our other dual nationals detained
in Iran.
