Johnson to meet husband of mother, 40, jailed in Iran
BORIS Johnson is due to meet Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband to discuss efforts to secure the release of the British-Iranian mother who is in prison in Tehran.
Richard Ratcliffe, who has family in south Wales, has secured a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister on Thursday as he seeks to increase the pressure to free his wife, who has been detained since 2016.
Yesterday, Mr Ratcliffe was meeting the UK’s ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, who has had his own brush with the Iranian justice system amid soaring tensions.
Fears have increased over Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s chances of freedom after the US killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, causing spiralling tensions in the Middle East.
Downing Street confirmed the PM – who has faced persistent criticism over his handling of the charity worker’s case – would meet Mr Ratcliffe at No 10.
Mr Ratcliffe previously said he wanted to meet Mr Johnson to hear him signal “this is a priority” and that he is “personally taking interest” in the case.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 40-year-old mother from London, is serving a five-year sentence after being arrested during a holiday with her daughter and accused of spying.
Her family and the UK Government have always maintained her innocence.
Mr Johnson has been persistently criticised for wrongly claiming, when he was foreign secretary, that she was training journalists at the time of her arrest.
Four days later she was summoned to an unscheduled court hearing, during which Mr Johnson’s comments were cited as proof she was engaged in “propaganda against the regime”.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is among as many as five people with dual British-Iranian nationality, or with UK connections, believed to be in prison in Iran.
Mr Macaire returned to London for talks after being labelled “persona non grata” by Iran’s judiciary, and hardline protesters burned an effigy of the diplomat.
He was arrested and briefly detained after attending a vigil for the 176 people, including four Britons, who were killed when Iran accidentally downed a Ukrainian jet amid spiralling tension.