UK gets urged to secure release of British couple jailed in Iran
Richard Ratcliffe told a news outlet that the government should take "serious measures" and learn from the mistakes made during his wife’s six-year detention. He urged officials to be more transparent with the Foremans’ family about the strategies being pursued and to abandon the assumption that the situation will resolve itself. “The current pretence is unsustainable, and seems to put all the burden and blame on the victims,” he said.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office said it takes all “allegations of human rights violations, including that a detention may be arbitrary, very seriously,” but noted that the support it can provide depends on individual circumstances and local conditions.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity project manager, was detained in 2016 while visiting Iran with her daughter, Gabriella. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused her of attempting to overthrow the state, a charge she denied. Her husband led a campaign for her release, which ended after nearly six years. Reflecting on that experience, Ratcliffe said one of the early frustrations was the UK government’s slow response and tendency to downplay her suffering.
The Foremans’ family emphasize that Craig and Lindsay entered Iran with valid visas, a licensed guide, and a pre-approved itinerary. Their son, Joe Bennett, has been campaigning full-time for their release and said the couple went on a hunger strike two weeks ago to demand better conditions, including more phone calls and the ability to see each other, although they have since resumed eating. Both are being held in separate crowded cells at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison and have appeared in court multiple times without being formally tried or convicted.
Bennett stressed the couple’s situation is dire, describing them as “living in horrific conditions, isolated, kept behind bars, stripped of their human dignity,” and called on the government to act with the same determination it eventually showed for Nazanin, “now, immediately, urgently, and not years from now.”
The UK government continues to advise against all travel to Iran due to the “significant risk” of arrest, warning that holding a British passport or having connections to the UK “can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
