Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Husband vows to continue hunger strike

The husband of the detained British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has said he will continue his hunger strike outside Whitehall after meeting Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Richard Ratcliffe, who began his hunger strike on Sunday, said ministers continued to be "too timid" in efforts to bring his wife home from Iran.

He was joined at the meeting by his MP Tulip Siddiq.

The Foreign Office said it would "continue to press Iran" on the case.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 43-year-old mother-of-one from Hampstead, in north London, has been detained in Iran since 2016 on spying charges and has not seen the couple's young daughter, Gabriella, for two years.

She has been serving the second of two prison sentences, this one on parole for a conviction of propaganda against the Iranian regime.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has always denied any wrongdoing, is staying with her mother in Iran - but is not allowed to leave the country.

But she faces a return to prison, after losing an appeal against the most recent sentence. Mr Ratcliffe said it was only a matter of time before his wife would be summoned back to jail.

Mr Ratcliffe took a painted stone to the one-hour meeting on Thursday to remind Ms Truss of the government's continued pledge to not leave any stone unturned in their attempts to bring his wife home.

Speaking after the meeting, he told the BBC he was "disappointed" the government had failed to offer any assurances about securing her release.

"My criticism of the British government is they've not prioritised the safety of British citizens in the course of their nuclear negotiations, in the course of their discussions with Iran and other stuff's been more important," he said."And actually nothing is more important for the government than protecting its own citizens."

Two tents have been pitched off Whitehall in London, near the Foreign Office and Downing Street, with signs reading "Free Nazanin" along with flowers and a collection of small coloured rocks.

Mr Ratcliffe carried out a 15-day hunger strike outside the Iranian embassy in London in 2019.

On Monday, Labour MP Ms Siddiq told the House of Commons that Mr Ratcliffe's hunger strike was a plea to Ms Truss and Prime Minister Boris Johnson to "do more to challenge Iran's hostage-taking and to bring Nazanin home".

The Foreign Office said: "Iran's decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through.

"Instead of threatening to return Nazanin to prison Iran must release her permanently so she can return home."

It added it would do "all we can" to help Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe return home and would continue to press Iran.