Richard Ratcliffe ends hunger strike with swipe at PM
THE husband of Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe criticised Boris Johnson as he ended his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks.
Richard Ratcliffe, who was born in Aldershot, went to Salesian College in Farnborough and lived in Fleet, spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) without food. He began his demonstration on October 24 after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was “caught in a dispute between two states”.
On Saturday morning in King
Charles Street, where Mr Ratcliffe has been staging his hunger strike, he told the PA news agency it was “the right time” to bring it to an end.
“We probably hoped we’d get a breakthrough doing this. We haven’t yet. I didn’t want to go out in an ambulance. I want to walk out with my head held high,” he said.
Mr Ratcliffe criticised the Prime Minister for his “telling” absence in talking to him during the protest.
Mr Ratcliffe said: “Mr Johnson hasn’t dealt adequately with Nazanin’s case for years. He hasn’t honoured his promises, and we live with those consequences. He should be more mindful of that. He shouldn’t just walk away from promises made.”
Mr Ratcliffe said the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stopped to visit earlier and one other Government minister had been to see him, but he acknowledged he has seen more Labour politicians during the demo.
“We’ve certainly not had the Prime Minister come. And yes, I do think he has the capacity to do a disappearing act.
“think his absence this past three weeks is telling,” he said. Mr Ratcliffe added he may have been “naive”, but said: “I did expect he would step up and sort it, and he would deliver on the promises he made as Foreign Secretary.”
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Ratcliffe’s local MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted: “It has been three weeks since Richard Ratcliffe last ate any food. In that time, not a single Government Minister has visited his camp outside the Foreign Office in solidarity.
“Will the Prime Minister take 5 minutes out of his day to visit my constituent today?”
Ms Siddiq said she had been in touch with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was “worried sick” about her husband. She said: “It has been agonising to watch my constituent starve himself for so long and put himself deliberately in harm’s way. Richard has shown such dedication, bravery and dignity over the last three weeks, and indeed over the last five years. I know how proud his family are of him, and how much of an impact his personal sacrifice has had on the millions of people around the world who want to see their family reunited.”
Mr Ratcliffe said he was starting to get pains in his feet overnight, and after a chat with a doctor the decision was made to end the hunger strike. Joined by his seven-year-old daughter Gabriella on Saturday, he said: “It’s been a lovely experience emotionally. Tough physically. But yeah, I think it probably is the right time to end it.”