Johnson faces more pressure over Iran remarks

THE FAMILY of a British woman jailed in Iran have demanded further action from Boris Johnson, after the country’s state TV broadcast a report claiming that the Foreign Secretary’s comments in Parliament amounted to an “unintended admission” of her guilt.

The Channel 2 report said that Mr Johnson’s suggestion that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was “training journalists” when arrested in Iran last year had “dealt a blow” to the efforts of campaigners and UK authorities to support her position that she was in fact on holiday.

Mr Johnson admits his comments “could have been clearer”, and told MPs on Tuesday that the UK Government “has no doubt that she was on holiday” in Iran.

He told Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a phone call that there was “no justifiable basis” for further legal action and said he had received assurances that recent developments in her case were not linked to his remarks.

But Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband Richard said that Wednesday’s broadcast showed that Mr Johnson’s actions so far “do not look sufficient”.

In a statement, the Free Nazanin Campaign said: “Iranian state TV evening news ran a long feature on Nazanin, using the Foreign Secretary’s words last week to discredit Nazanin and negate the efforts to release her. Assurances given this week do not look sufficient. The UK Government should not be in denial about the gravity of the situation or the abuse Nazanin is suffering at the hands of the Iranian authorities. The Government’s first duty – both governments’ first duty – is to protect its citizens.”

Mr Ratcliffe said he wanted to take up Mr Johnson’s offer of a meeting to discuss the case, and wanted to join the Foreign Secretary on his planned trip to Iran.

Asked about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case during a visit to the US, Mr Johnson told Sky News: “We have some difficult consular cases in Iran and we are working on all of them.”