Diplomatic protection

Richard Ratcliffe says Dominic Raab must "do something robust" if his jailed charity worker wife is not freed.

It’s been three years since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in an Iranian prison. Separated from her daughter Gabriella as her husband has campaigned tirelessly for her release. Nazanin is currently under a form of diplomatic protection in an unprecedented move by the UK Foreign Office.

This rare move asserts that Iran’s injuries to Nazanin are injuries to Britain itself – it is unclear how Iran will react but it could be the first step towards freedom

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced that charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be given “diplomatic protection”, in an unprecedented Foreign Office move. The protection raises the issue of Nazanin’s imprisonment as an issue between Iran and the UK as states, rather than at the consular level. While it doesn’t go as far as giving her diplomatic immunity which could secure her release, it is considered a strong move and a considerable escalation of the issue. Nazanin was jailed in 2016 in Tehran, after the Iranian government accused her of spying, an accusation she strongly denies.