Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Thursday, 29 October 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 November 2020. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 November 2020 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken in response to reports that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will face new charges in court on 2 November; whether they have secured consular access to her; and what assessment they have made of any correlation between her summons and the postponement of the hearing on a financial dispute between the UK and Iran by six months.

Answer: It is indefensible that Iran has brought new charges against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. We made a formal request to the Iran Government for the UK Government to attend her hearing. We have consistently called for her full and permanent release and continue to raise her case at the most senior levels. The Foreign Secretary has done so repeatedly with Foreign Minister Zarif. Senior FCDO officials summoned the Iranian Ambassador to London on 29 October to raise concerns over her treatment. The Iranian Ministry of Defence requested the adjournment of the November hearings. It would be inappropriate to comment further on ongoing legal proceedings, but we continue to explore all options to resolve this dispute.

Secondary information