UK in denial over hostage-taking by foreign states, says Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

"Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was kept in an Iranian jail for six years on bogus espionage charges until her release in March 2022, was speaking at a conference dedicated to eradicating the growing international practice of hostage-taking. The government has a moral duty of care for each and every citizen who is arbitrarily detained abroad, she said. That duty should be fair. Unfortunately, the government's policy in such cases is discretionary."

"Speaking at the conference, Joe Bennett, the son of Lindsay Foreman currently held in an Iranian jail on spying charges revealed that the Foreign Office had advised him not only not to go public about his mother's capture, but also not to contact other families that had been in parallel crises. He reported that his mother felt let down, and was currently on hunger strike. He said he was willing to join her on the strike if it helped."

UK government is in denial about the extent of hostage-taking by foreign states and has not fulfilled a promise to appoint a special envoy. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was held in an Iranian jail for six years on bogus espionage charges and was released in March 2022. Families of arbitrarily detained Britons report widespread disillusionment with government responses and criticize discretionary consular policies. The Foreign Office reportedly advised some relatives not to go public or to contact other affected families. Some detainees have undertaken hunger strikes; relatives call for the government to prioritize releases and provide systematic support.

Read at www.theguardian.com