Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£400M JABS TRADE HOPE FOR NAZANIN
Aid scheme ‘could bring her home for Xmas’
CAPTIVE mum Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe could be home for Christmas, her husband hopes – if Britain trades £400 million in Covid jabs and medicine with Iran.
Richard Ratcliffe, father to their daughter Gabriella, seven, says Britain could pay the debt it owes Iran in the form of humanitarian aid.
Tehran signalled two weeks ago it might accept the payment in Covid jabs and medicines in lieu of cash.
Richard, who went on a 21-day hunger strike outside the Foreign Office in London last month, said: “All countries need vaccines.
“And if we settled this debt, Nazanin could be released the next day.
“It would be an amazing Christmas present for her to be home.”
He and Gabriella face spending a heartbreaking sixth Christmas without Nazanin at home.
Richard added: “Nazanin has been very blue these past few days, as the realisation has hit her that we are drifting again. But Gabriella has had a happy time decorating the tree and helping me put up lights.”
Nazanin, 42, has been detained in Iran since April 2016. She was sentenced to five years over spying charges and faces a further year in jail.
Britain claims she is being held hostage along with other dual nationals in a wrangle over money.
Ministers admit the cash is owed for battle tanks ordered in 1971 but never delivered due to Iran’s coup.
They have not paid up, despite the international court at the Hague ordering in 2009 the debt be settled. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the money could only be paid if “a legally viable means” were found.
Foreign Office minister and Tory peer Lord Zac Goldsmith said last month: “Payment of any money becomes payment for a hostage.”
Richard said: “Ministers cannot throw out words like “hostage” and “ransom” when they just want to deflect Parliamentary scrutiny.”
REFUSING to apologise for No10 parties could cost Boris Johnson a key by-election seat, the Liberal Democrats warn.
Polling tips Helen Morgan to win the North Shropshire seat on Thursday vacated by sleaze-hit Tory Owen Paterson.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “People here are furious.”