Written question asked by Tulip Siddiq (Labour) on Thursday, 21 April 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 April 2022. It was answered by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Thursday, 28 April 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department took between October 2021 to March 2022 to (a) challenge the convictions of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe by the Iranian Revolutionary Courts and (b) demand that those convictions be annulled by Iran.

Answer: Despite multiple requests, officials have not been granted access by the Iranian Authorities to visit detained dual British nationals or to attend their trials. Iran does not recognise dual nationality nor grant consular access to our dual national detainees. Although we have never been granted either consular access or sight of the judicial process, our Ambassador in Tehran has consistently requested consular access alongside raising health concerns and mistreatment allegations. FCDO negotiators held intensive discussions with senior Iranian officials and our Ambassador in Tehran has been in regular talks with Iranian Ministers and senior officials. It was always entirely in Iran's gift to release Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and the UK does not, and never will, accept our nationals being used as diplomatic leverage.

Secondary information