Briton jailed in Iran ‘could be offered diplomatic protection’

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Her husband Richard Ratcliffe, who says his wife is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, has appealed to be allowed to join Mr Johnson on a trip to Iran planned by the end of the year, and to visit her in jail with the Foreign Secretary.

READ MORE: Johnson sorry for jailed Briton’s suffering but no apology for remarks

Mr Ratcliffe declined to join calls for Mr Johnson to resign over his gaffe, which was seized upon by Iranian judicial authorities as an admission of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s guilt.

But he urged the Foreign Office to ensure that all ministers know that the Government position is that his wife was on holiday at the time of her arrest, after Environment Secretary Michael Gove said in a TV interview that he did not know what she was doing in Iran.

There was no immediate explanation from the Foreign Office of what “diplomatic protection” status could mean for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Mr Ratcliffe said that the idea was raised with him by Mr Johnson, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It feels now we do have the Foreign Secretary’s personal engagement. He did promise to consider whether she would be eligible for diplomatic protection. Which again gives a different aspect and a different push to what they will do for her.”

Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, ties messages of support to a tree in Fortune Green, West Hampstead (Gareth Fuller/PA)

And Theresa May’s official spokesman said the diplomatic status was “one of the options” being considered in the case.

READ MORE: Johnson sorry for jailed Briton’s suffering but no apology for remarks

Mr Ratcliffe spoke to the Foreign Secretary amid calls for Mr Johnson to resign over his comments to a parliamentary committee, which he has already admitted “could have been clearer”.

Asked if the minister had apologised for the remarks, Mr Ratcliffe told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “He was sorry for what Nazanin was going through, and for her suffering, and he said all of the country was behind her.”

Pressed on whether Mr Johnson said sorry for his comments, Mr Ratcliffe said: “He didn’t make the connection. He didn’t mention it.”

READ MORE: Johnson sorry for jailed Briton’s suffering but no apology for remarks

He said his family had been angered by Mr Gove’s claim, on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, that he did not know what Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in Iran.

“Certainly there was all sorts of anger in our house,” said Mr Ratcliffe. “The Government’s position is that the Government is clear, and has no doubt, that she was there on holiday.

“I asked the Foreign Office to remind all of the Cabinet members that that’s the Government’s position.”

Mr Ratcliffe said it would not be helpful for the Foreign Secretary to resign over his handling of the case.

“I don’t think it’s helpful for Nazanin at this point,” he told Today. “I don’t think it’s helpful also in terms of how that looks in Iran for me to be looking like I’m playing politics.”

“It’s very important that the Iranians can see that this is just a family who are battling to bring Nazanin home, and not get the sort of sense that we are some sort of great Machiavellian power. We are not.”

Asked whether the Government would grant Mr Ratcliffe the possibility of visiting his wife in jail with Mr Johnson, Theresa May’s official spokesman said: “I think what we need to look at is what will work best and what can be most beneficial in this case. We will look at his comments very closely, and we will do whatever is the best course of action to secure her release.”

Following Mr Gove’s comments, the spokesman was asked whether the Prime Minister was aware of what Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in Iran.

“The Government’s position on this is clear,” he said. “She was there on holiday. It wasn’t for any other purpose.”