Jeremy Hunt calls on Iran to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ahead of visit
2 min read
Jeremy Hunt has called on Iran’s government to stop using innocent dual-national Britons as political prisoners.
The Foreign Secretary will urge the regime to release British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held since April 2016 after she was accused of spying.
His visit to the republic marks the first of a western leader since the United States pulled out of a nuclear deal and imposed sanctions earlier this year.
Ahead of the trip, Mr Hunt said: “We must see those innocent British-Iranian dual nationals imprisoned in Iran returned to their families in Britain,”
“I have just heard too many heartbreaking stories from families who have been forced to endure a terrible separation.”
“So I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage.”
Mr Hunt is set to meet with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Zarif on the trip, with whom he last spoke at the time of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
He will raise concerns around Iranian support for Shia Houthi rebels fighting the Saudi-backed government in the Yemen civil war.
The minister's visit is the first by a European foreign minister since President Trump’s decision to pull out of a nuclear deal struck by President Obama – which was met with disbelief from major allies, including the UK.
He added that the deal “remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran.
“It needs 100 per cent compliance, though, to survive,” he continued.
“We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges that the region faces.”
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was granted a three-day release from her five-year sentence in August but was denied an extension and forced to return to prison.
She was initially arrested at Tehran airport on her way home to London with her two-year-old daughter, but was later sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying, which she denies.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
