Lawyers for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British woman jailed in Iran, have accused the British government of delaying steps that could secure her early release.
In a letter to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawyers accused the government of not acting because they feared upsetting Washington.
The seven-page letter said London had deliberately delayed steps to earn the release, including the payment of £400m (Dh1.9 billion) which Tehran says it is owed by Britain.
It's completely outrageous to be holding people and using them as collateral
“The UK Government is apparently waiting for implicit permission from the US Government to pay the UK’s legally owed debts, payment of which would allow Nazanin (and other innocent British nationals) finally to come home,” it read.
“The message appears to be that the safety of British citizens abroad is subordinate to falling in line with US policy.”
The BBC's Panorama programme broadcast similar allegations on Monday, and on Tuesday The Guardian reported the new legal effort.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained since April 2016 when she travelled with her young daughter to visit her Iranian parents.
She was jailed for five years after being accused of unspecified espionage offences.
Her family and supporters say she is a pawn in a political game between London and Tehran.
The British Government has previously admitted it owes Iran for a pre-1979 arms deal.
“It is important that the UK both honours its legally owed obligations to Iran, but also calls out the Iranian Government on its illegal treatment of Nazanin under Iranian law,” the letter reads.
“However, the UK Government has done precisely the opposite: obtusely refusing to discharge its legal obligations, while remaining silent and appeasing Iran in the face of Tehran’s atrocious abuse of Nazanin’s human rights.”
Richard Ratcliffe, who is Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband and has for years campaigned for her release, was also asked about any link between his wife's detention and the outstanding debt.
"Well of course there should be no link," he said. "It's completely outrageous to be holding people and using them as collateral."
Mr Ratcliffe also said on Monday that he feared she could face a second trial when her sentence ends early next year.
"I think, behind closed doors, they keep saying there's a second court case, they keep talking about running it," he told ITV. "My fear is that's what happens."
In a statement the Ministry of Defence said: “The defence secretary’s position on this matter has not changed. As previous government statements have made clear, we remain committed to securing the immediate and permanent release of all arbitrarily detained dual British nationals in Iran and regularly lobby for their release at the highest levels.”
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A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Sour%20Grapes
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Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
