Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Gabriella asked Nazanin ‘When will Daddy finish camping?’ It gets to me
Richard’s agony as hunger strike vigil hits day 16
HUDDLED in seven layers of clothing, a hot water bottle on his lap and wearing comedian Bill Bailey’s mittens, Richard Ratcliffe faced day 16 of his hunger strike outside the foreign office yesterday.
The husband of captive Nazanin Zaghariratcliffe speaks more quietly now, his eyes red and dry, and is unable to stand for long periods.
But he insists he will remain camped on the Westminster pavement this week, pressuring the Government to act to bring his wife home.
He says knowing their seven-year-old daughter Gabriella is missing him is devastating. She is being looked after by family.
But visits from the likes of Bill last week, and yesterday’s return from Strictly host Claudia Winkleman and Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell, lift his spirits.
“The hardest moments are sitting in driving rain, worry for family. I miss Gabriella,” he said.
“She was asking Nazanin this morning, ‘When’s Daddy going to finish camping?’ She wants me to pick her up from school, she wants her dad back. It does get to me.”
But, he adds, sitting almost motionless except for taking regular sips of water, it has been “a nice day” with “lots of people”.
It was Victoria and Claudia who brought them, urging their Twitter fans to go along.
He smiles: “Victoria and Claudia have been very kind and supportive. They were imploring me not to take it too far, telling me how many people care, how many people have messaged, just wanting me to know that she and I are not alone. And to be careful.”
Nazanin has been held in Iran since 2016 when she was accused of spying as she took Gabriella to see family there.
In April, there were hopes for her return when her five-year sentence ended but a baseless new one-year term was imposed and Nazanin lost an appeal.
She is under house arrest at her parents’ home in Tehran, under threat of returning to jail.
Richard, though still lucid and mobile, knows he is now in dangerous territory as he fights to bring her home.
His first hunger strike, in the summer of 2019, lasted 15 days. He has now exceeded that in far colder weather. His GP sister and consultant brotherin-law subject him to regular health checks. “Two weeks should be safe but we are over that now,” he admits. “The longer it goes on the less safe it is and my body is telling me that.” Richard wants PM Boris Johnson to meet Iranian COP26 delegates to demand freedom for Britons held in Iran and for Nazanin and others to be recognised as hostages.
He is also calling for nuclear talks with Iran to include a vow to end hostage-taking. And he is urging the Government to pay the £400million arms debt owed by Britain. Richard met Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on day six. He has not heard from her since. Yesterday it emerged her Iranian counterpart had spoken with Ms Truss and urged her to repay the debt. Richard said: “There’s been a lot of talking. My hope is Liz Truss is talking effectively.”