This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/15/boris-johnson-urged-raise-zaghari-ratcliffe-case-iran-counterpart
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Boris Johnson to raise Zaghari-Ratcliffe case with Iran counterpart | Boris Johnson to raise Zaghari-Ratcliffe case with Iran counterpart |
| (7 months later) | |
| The foreign minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to raise the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman being held in an Iranian jail, when he meets his Iraniancounterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, for talks in Brussels, Downing Street has said. | The foreign minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to raise the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman being held in an Iranian jail, when he meets his Iraniancounterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, for talks in Brussels, Downing Street has said. |
| The confirmation came after her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, urged Johnson to discuss the case with Zarif. | The confirmation came after her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, urged Johnson to discuss the case with Zarif. |
| The two foreign ministers were due to meet later on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss ways to shore up the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US has now withdrawn. | The two foreign ministers were due to meet later on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss ways to shore up the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US has now withdrawn. |
| “We have been clear from the outset that we want to see more progress being made,” Theresa May’s spokesman said of Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment. | “We have been clear from the outset that we want to see more progress being made,” Theresa May’s spokesman said of Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment. |
| Previously the government has kept the case separate from talks on the nuclear deal, but the spokesman said the Brussels meeting provided an opportunity to raise it “person to person”.Downing Street said May had discussed Zaghari-Ratcliffe with the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, when they talked over the weekend. | Previously the government has kept the case separate from talks on the nuclear deal, but the spokesman said the Brussels meeting provided an opportunity to raise it “person to person”.Downing Street said May had discussed Zaghari-Ratcliffe with the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, when they talked over the weekend. |
| Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was accused of seeking a “soft overthrow” of the Islamic republic. She denies the charges and maintains she was in the country to introduce her daughter, Gabriella, to her parents. Her husband has seen neither his wife or daughter since she was detained in 2016. | Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was accused of seeking a “soft overthrow” of the Islamic republic. She denies the charges and maintains she was in the country to introduce her daughter, Gabriella, to her parents. Her husband has seen neither his wife or daughter since she was detained in 2016. |
| Friends without benefits: how Europe was wrongfooted by Trump over Iran | |
| Ratcliffe said his wife’s case and those of other dual-nationals also detained in Iran should be “top of [Johnson’s] priority list” at the meeting. | Ratcliffe said his wife’s case and those of other dual-nationals also detained in Iran should be “top of [Johnson’s] priority list” at the meeting. |
| He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programmethat his wife was “pretty down and shaken” by the threat of further charges being brought against her and said it was hard for the whole family “to keep hope alive”. | He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programmethat his wife was “pretty down and shaken” by the threat of further charges being brought against her and said it was hard for the whole family “to keep hope alive”. |
| Both Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her father were told by the prosecutor that a decision on the those charges would be taken next week. | Both Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her father were told by the prosecutor that a decision on the those charges would be taken next week. |
| Ratcliffe said: “[Nazanin] is bewildered and outraged about how she could have possibly done anything while sitting in prison. Her parents are obviously deeply traumatised and confused. For all of us this has gone on for so long ... it’s just such a rabbit hole.” | Ratcliffe said: “[Nazanin] is bewildered and outraged about how she could have possibly done anything while sitting in prison. Her parents are obviously deeply traumatised and confused. For all of us this has gone on for so long ... it’s just such a rabbit hole.” |
| He said the UK needed “to do better by British Iranians” and was “failing to protect them”. He has previously criticised Johnson for incorrectly claiming that his wife was training journalists in Iran, for which the foreign secretary later apologised. | He said the UK needed “to do better by British Iranians” and was “failing to protect them”. He has previously criticised Johnson for incorrectly claiming that his wife was training journalists in Iran, for which the foreign secretary later apologised. |
| Johnson met with Ratcliffe in November before visiting Iran and pledged to fight for her release,. However, little progress has been made since then. | Johnson met with Ratcliffe in November before visiting Iran and pledged to fight for her release,. However, little progress has been made since then. |
| On Sunday, May urged Rouhani to make further progress towards the release of British-Iranians “on humanitarian grounds”. | On Sunday, May urged Rouhani to make further progress towards the release of British-Iranians “on humanitarian grounds”. |
| The Foreign Office said Johnson would also be raising all the UK’s Iranian consular cases during the meeting on Tuesday. | The Foreign Office said Johnson would also be raising all the UK’s Iranian consular cases during the meeting on Tuesday. |
| A spokeswoman said: “We will continue to approach each case in a way that we judge is most likely to secure the outcome we all want. Therefore we will not be providing a running commentary on every twist and turn.” | A spokeswoman said: “We will continue to approach each case in a way that we judge is most likely to secure the outcome we all want. Therefore we will not be providing a running commentary on every twist and turn.” |
| Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe | Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe |
| Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson |
| Iran | Iran |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |