Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab) (Urgent Question): To
ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Affairs to make a statement on my constituent
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe The Minister for the Middle
East and North Africa (James Cleverly) It is indefensible and
unacceptable that Iran has rejected Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s
appeal against the new charges made against her. We continue to
call on Iran to let her return home to...Request free trial
(Hampstead and Kilburn)
(Lab)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Affairs to make a statement on my
constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa ()
It is indefensible and unacceptable that Iran has rejected
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s appeal against the new charges made
against her. We continue to call on Iran to let her return home
to the UK immediately. On 22 September, the Foreign Secretary
spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister to make clear our deep
concern about the ongoing situation of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe
alongside the continued detention of Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad
Tahbaz. Iran must release British dual nationals who have been
arbitrarily detained so that they can return home.
The Foreign Secretary spoke to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and
Richard Ratcliffe on 16 and 17 October respectively. Earlier this
month, I spoke to the families of arbitrarily detained dual
British nationals and reiterated that the UK Government, from the
Prime Minister down, remain fully committed to doing everything
we can to help them to return home. We also called for
humanitarian treatment of detained British dual nationals. Their
welfare remains a top priority for us. We lobby on health
concerns and mistreatment allegations whenever we have specific
concerns or a family member brings issues to our attention. We
call on the Iranian Government immediately to allow health
professionals into Evin prison to assess the situation of dual
British nationals incarcerated there. We continue to raise their
cases at the most senior levels and discuss them at every
opportunity with our Iranian counterparts. Our ambassador in
Tehran regularly raises our dual national detainees with the
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign, Commonwealth
and Development Office provides consular assistance to the
families of British dual nationals detained in Iran wherever they
seek our support.
The UK Government continue to engage with international partners
and directly with the Government of Iran on a full range of
issues of interest to the UK. Our priorities remain to prevent
Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, to promote
stability and security in the region, and to secure the full
release of our dual national detainees. I can assure this House
that the safety and welfare of all British dual nationals
detained in Iran remains a top priority for the UK Government. We
will continue to raise our concerns with our Iranian
interlocutors at every level, and we will not stop until those
who have been detained unjustly are at home with their loved
ones.
I thank Mr Speaker’s office and you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for
granting this urgent question. It is my eighth urgent question on
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe since
she was detained five harrowing years ago in Iran on false
charges.
You may remember, Madam Deputy Speaker, that only two years ago
Nazanin’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, was on hunger strike
outside the Iranian embassy in solidarity with his wife, who was
doing the same in Evin prison in Iran. Today, Richard is on
hunger strike on the Foreign Secretary’s doorstep in Whitehall,
pleading with her and the Prime Minister to do more to challenge
Iran’s hostage-taking and to bring Nazanin home to be reunited
with him and their daughter Gabriella. I think all Members across
this House will realise that going on hunger strike is the
absolute last resort for anyone. Richard has told me that he
feels that there is no other option left because our Government’s
response to his wife’s case has been pitiful.
Earlier this month, Nazanin was told that the Iranian judiciary
had upheld a new one-year prison sentence and a further one-year
travel ban that she had been given. This was just the latest
escalation from Iran in this five-year ordeal, and yet again we
do not feel that it has triggered any robust action from the UK.
I know there was hope for a diplomatic solution just before
summer, but these false dawns have actually made the situation
worse for Nazanin and her husband.
I know that the Minister means well, that he is well versed on
this case, and that he has been supportive of my constituent,
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and
her husband Richard, who has come to the Gallery today to listen
to this urgent question. I want to ask the Minister specifically
about four asks from Nazanin’s family. Will he acknowledge that
Nazanin is a hostage of the Iranian state? Will the Government
bring forward Magnitsky sanctions against those involved in this
hostage taking and challenge Iran on it in the courts? Will the
Government finally fulfil the promise of resolving the £400
million debt that we as a country owe Iran? Will he work to
secure a commitment to end hostage taking in negotiations around
the Iran nuclear deal?
I urge the Minister, for Nazanin’s sake, for Richard’s sake, for
Gabriella’s sake and for the sake of all British citizens
imprisoned in Iran or at risk of being taken hostage, to commit
to a robust response to Iran and a proper rescue plan for
Nazanin.
I commend the hon. Lady for the passion with which she promotes
the interest of her constituents. I know other Members in the
House also have an interest. I cannot begin to imagine what it
must be like for the families of those incarcerated in Iran, and
I understand the universal desire to get these British dual
nationals home. I assure her that the UK continues to have this
as one of our top priorities. It is the focus of all the
conversations we have with Iran. She will understand that a range
of sanctions is already imposed against individuals and entities
in Iran from the UK and international bodies. Of course the
Iranian regime would love to connect the cases of these British
dual nationals with the international military services debt. We
regard it as unhelpful to reinforce that link. We make the point
very clearly that British dual nationals must not be used as a
means of diplomatic leverage. Therefore, we continue to call on
Iran to do the right thing, to release all the British dual
nationals in incarceration and to allow them to come home to
their families and loved ones.
(New Forest East) (Con)
Can the Minister tell the House roughly how many British dual
nationals are being held captive in Iran, and how many of them
chose to go there after the ordeal of this poor lady began so
many years ago? What advice would he give to any British dual
nationals thinking of going to Iran in the future?
The UK travel advice on Iran has remained consistent for some
time. We strongly advise against all travel to Iran. Our ability
to offer consular support, for the very reasons that we have
discussed here, is severely limited. My right hon. Friend will
forgive me if I choose not to disclose how many people we believe
are in incarceration. Our view is that, while that might be
frustrating to many, it is sometimes better that we exert the
pressure that we exert quietly, rather than publicly.
(Caerphilly) (Lab)
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and
Kilburn () on securing this urgent
question and on the sterling work she is doing on behalf of her
constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Six
months ago, my hon. Friend secured a similar debate on the second
sentence Nazanin was given by the Iranian authorities. Now,
Nazanin has lost her appeal to overturn that spurious conviction
and faces the prospect of returning to prison, where we know
conditions are very poor. This means she may not see her husband
and young daughter until 2023. Yesterday, her husband Richard
Ratcliffe began, as we have heard, a hunger strike outside the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. When I met Richard
earlier today, he showed his courage and determination, and he
made clear to me that he was taking this action because he has
lost faith in the Government’s broken strategy.
After over 2,000 long days, it is surely time for the Government
to fundamentally rethink their whole approach to Nazanin’s
predicament and the predicament of the other dual nationals who
are in a similar position. Last week, in reply to questions from
my hon. Friend and me in a Westminster Hall debate, the Minister
said that the Government remain absolutely committed to securing
the full release of Nazanin and the other imprisoned dual
nationals. The new Foreign Secretary has said that she will
continue to “press Iran” on the issue.
My question today is straightforward: what precisely is the
Government’s strategy for bringing Nazanin and the others home?
Words are not enough. It is surely time for the Government to
take real and robust action.
I understand the frustration that is clearly in the hon.
Gentleman’s voice and I assure him that that is echoed by
everyone involved in the situation. The incarceration of British
dual nationals is down to Iran. The most recent charges brought
against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe are
as spurious as the original charges and we demand that the
Iranian regime releases her. I assure him that we are exploring
every option. I assure him that, if he were able to come up with
specific ideas that we had not already explored, they would be
listened to and taken seriously. I also assure him, however, that
we have explored and continue to explore every option to secure
the release of all the British dual nationals currently held in
incarceration in Iran.
(Stirling) (SNP)
I warmly commend the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn
() for securing the urgent
question and for her indefatigability in keeping the issue to the
fore. We were in a Westminster Hall debate last week where she
was notably passionate in her prosecution. For the record, I do
not doubt the diligence of the Minister on the subject; I think
it has been raised a number of times with the Iranians. Despite
all the good intentions and cross-party unity, however, we have
not seen progress; arguably, we have seen reversals. What sort of
toothless tiger cannot get its nationals back from an overseas
regime that has taken them hostage? We need to call a spade a
spade.
We have an opportunity for progress with President Raisi coming
to COP in Glasgow in a matter of days. Will the UK Government
take the opportunity of having him in Scotland to hold talks
about the issue? If not, why on earth are we contemplating having
the head of a regime that is holding UK nationals hostage on our
soil?
I assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that the release of
British dual nationals is part of every conversation that we have
with the Iranian regime at every level. I remind the House that,
ultimately, that is the responsibility not of those people in
incarceration or of this Government, but wholly, solely and
exclusively of the Iranian regime. The detention of those people
is completely illegitimate and unfounded, and they need to be
released immediately.
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for granting the urgent
question and I thank the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn
() for doggedly pursuing the
issue, both of which say that the House will not give up on
Nazanin. I find it disappointing that those of us who have taken
an interest in the case could have written what the Minister
said, because we hear the same thing over and over again.
I want to push one of the questions that has already been asked.
As part of the joint comprehensive plan of action negotiations,
is the end to hostage taking one of the things that the
Government are going to press? We have to keep pushing at every
available avenue and that is clearly on the table and needs to be
explored. Can the Minister give us an update on that?
As I have said, we do not accept the notion that arbitrarily
incarcerating British dual nationals should be used as a point of
leverage in negotiations. The suspended negotiations taking place
in Vienna are about ensuring that we do not ever see a
nuclear-armed Iran. Our position on that is consistent and
unwavering, and we will not allow Tehran to distract us from that
course of action. Our position is straightforward and simple: the
people in incarceration should be released without condition, not
as part of some negotiation, but because they are not in any way
responsible for the charges that have been brought against
them.
(Cardiff West) (Lab)
The concern behind the UQ of my hon. Friend the Member for
Hampstead and Kilburn () today and behind Mr
Ratcliffe’s recent hunger strike is that the issue of British
prisoners abroad is not really the top priority for the Foreign
Office. I ask the Minister to review the correspondence that we
have had recently in relation to the case of Luke Symons—it is
related in some ways through the Iranian connection—who is
incarcerated in Sana’a by the Houthis, and also the
correspondence my constituent Bob Cummings has had with his
Department regarding that case to see whether he really feels,
when he looks at it, that it indicates that the quality of
attention that is required in these cases of British prisoners
improperly and illegally incarcerated overseas is really being
given by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. I hope
he would agree to do that and review that correspondence.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for the point that he has raised. I
can assure him that, on my recent visit to Oman, I raised this
case with the Omani Foreign Minister, with whom I have a very
good relationship, in an attempt to get a message across to the
Houthis, who have in recent times stepped back from direct
engagement with the UK Government. When I spoke directly with the
Houthis, I raised the case of Luke, and we regularly raise the
case of British dual nationals when we have conversations with
those countries that are either directly involved or able to act
as intermediaries for our message. But I can assure him that this
is a topic of conversation that I have consistently with the
Foreign Secretary and we consistently have with the Iranians and
other countries that might be able, as I say, to act as
intermediaries for that message. It remains a top priority of
this Government.
(Kingston upon Hull North)
(Lab)
I have just had the honour of speaking to Richard Ratcliffe, as I
did two years ago when he was on hunger strike outside the
Iranian embassy. I also want to commend my hon. Friend the Member
for Hampstead and Kilburn () for her eighth urgent
question on this matter. Can the Minister just set out how, or
if, we are using our international partnerships to try to bring
an end to this dreadful situation?
The right hon. Lady raises an important point. I can assure her
that we speak about this issue, as I say, directly with the
Iranian regime, but also with other countries, both in the region
and those friends and allies that we have in Europe and in the
United States of America. We will not rest in our efforts to
bring British dual nationals home not because questions are
raised in the House or exchanged in correspondence, but because
it is the right thing for us to do. We do not need to be
pressured into doing this. This is what we choose to do because
it is the right thing to do, and I can assure her and the House
that it will remain a priority until they are all able to come
home.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
I am sure all of us send our solidarity to Richard, who is having
to go on a second sit-out outside the FCDO this evening and for
the coming days. I send my solidarity to him and his daughter,
and to Nazanin. Further to calls for the Government to set out a
comprehensive strategy to secure the release and return to the UK
of dual nationals such as Nazanin and Anoosheh Ashoori, Morad
Tahbaz and Mehran Raoof, can the Minister tell us what
discussions the Prime Minister has had to secure the release of
state-taken UK dual nationals as a matter of urgency with his
Iranian counterpart?
Obviously, the majority of the interactions with Iran take place
within the FCDO at ministerial level, and I can assure the hon.
Member that the Prime Minister takes a very keen interest in
this, as does the Foreign Secretary and as do I. I can only
repeat what I have said previously: the Government will not rest
until we have secured the release and repatriation of these
incarcerated British dual nationals.
(Lewisham East) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Kilburn
() for securing this urgent
question, and thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for granting
it. The Minister knows of my constituent only too well—Anoosheh
Ashoori—because he continues to be held alongside Nazanin. He was
recently denied conditional release without a hearing. I am not
sure if the Minister is aware of that. His daughter Elika
said:
“The fate of our family is at the mercy of the UK government.
They…will decide whether we see our dad in the near future or
when he is an old man in his 70s having wasted a decade of his
life in…jail.”
Can the Minister say to me whether my constituent Anoosheh
Ashoori will be granted diplomatic protection?
I understand the frustration felt by the families of those who
have been incarcerated in Iran, but the fault is with the Iranian
Government. We will continue to work to secure their release, and
to do everything that we believe is in the best interests of
getting their release. Ultimately, however, the blame lies with
the Iranian regime, and we should never lose sight of that. They
are the ones who brought about these illegitimate charges, who
are incarcerating British dual nationals, and who have the
exclusive power to release them, and they should.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I commend and thank the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn
() for her press appearance—she
is much admired by many in this Chamber. Recent news from
Nazanin’s husband has confirmed the impact that imprisonment is
having on her mental health and stability, and that is little
wonder when we see a glimpse of the way that this British citizen
is living, ever aware that Members of the House had thought to
secure her freedom, only for that to be thwarted. What steps is
the Minister prepared to take to secure her freedom once and for
all, and to send a message that this nation, this great United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will protect her
own?
It is not always possible, particularly in fast-moving and
sensitive negotiations such as those we are engaged with in Iran,
to go into every detail in the House, and I beg the indulgence of
the House to understand that. I assure the hon. Gentleman, as I
have said to others, that this issue remains an absolute priority
for the Government, and the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary
and I will take every opportunity to raise it directly with the
Iranians and seek the proper, permanent release of all British
dual nationals currently held in arbitrary detention in Iran.
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