Boris has shamed nation
Brit mum in Iran jail faces breast cancer scare amid ministers’ gaffes Johnson again called on to quit and Gove is dragged into scandal
THE British mum being held in an Iranian jail is close to having a nervous breakdown as she faces a cancer scare, it emerged last night. It comes as Boris Johnson was again called on to quit, as Jeremy Corbyn accused him of “undermining Britain”. The Foreign Secretary claimed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – a British-Iranian mum being held in an Iranian jail – had been “training journalists” at the time of her arrest last year. Corbyn said Johnson is “putting our citizens at risk”, adding: “It’s time for him to go.” Nazanin faces an extra five years in jail following Johnson’s comments.
On Saturday, the 38-year-old was taken to hospital in Tehran to see a specialist for an ultrasound after finding lumps in her breasts. It follows an inconclusive mammogram.
Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said she is “on the verge of a nervous breakdown”. Last night, Michael Gove added to her distress, claiming he didn’t know what she was doing in Iran at the time of her arrest. Mr Ratcliffe, who once studied in Edinburgh, said last night that his wife has found new lumps in her breasts, after complaining of sharp stabbing pains for some months. The consultant said the lumps were likely to be benign but due to her
family history of breast cancer, along with the pain, she should be kept under “close surveillance”.
Mr Ratcliffe said his wife had “expressed anger” over the “shambles” Johnson was making of her case.
Corbyn called on the Foreign Secretary to quit.
The Labour leader said: “We’ve put up with Johnson undermining our country and putting our citizens at risk for long enough. It’s time for him to go.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Johnson to “apologise”, telling told BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: “This is the latest in a long line of gaffes made by our Foreign Secretary. Surely he must have done enough to go?”
Environment Secretary Gove told the same show he didn’t know the purpose of Nazanin’s visit but would “take her husband’s assurance” that she was on holiday.
Shadow Cabinet minister Jon Trickett said: “Gove is more interested in protecting Johnson’s job than the liberty of a British citizen
“Theresa May must ensure Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe does not pay the price for her ministers’ bungling.”
Nazanin was arrested at Tehran airport while on holiday with her daughter Gabriella, now three, in 2016.
She was accused of trying to overthrow the Iranian regime – which she has always denied – and sentenced to five years in jail.
Iran’s state TV claimed Johnson’s suggestion she had been “training journalists” was an “unintended admission” of her guilt.
Labour’s Tulip Siddiq – Nazanin’s MP – said last night that Nazanin “couldn’t believe [Johnson] could make comments that would endanger her life”.
It is understood that Mr Ratcliffe had a “constructive” phone call with Johnson yesterday.
Meanwhile, Johnson was last night asked to explain why he was pictured with an academic at the centre of an FBI probe into Russian meddling in the US election.
He posed with Joseph Mifsud at a fundraising dinner in Reading last month.
Last week, a source said the Foreign Secretary had “never knowingly met this person...or ever heard of him”.
After the snap emerged yesterday, the source said: “He has had his photograph taken with countless people he does not know.”