Today is day 19 of Richard Ratcliffe’s hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). But why is he there?
Mr Ratcliffe, husband of imprisoned charity worker Nazanin Zagheri-Ratcliffe, has been outside the FCDO for two and a half weeks.
He has been visited by celebrities, politicians and members of the public and is flanked by two members of his family each night.
But why is he demonstrating and what is he hoping to achieve?
Who is Richard Ratcliffe?
Richard Ratcliffe is the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national who has been in custody in Iran since 2016 after she was accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has always denied all of the charges against her.
She had taken the couple’s then-one-year-old daughter Gabriella to see family in Iran when she was arrested and sentenced to five years in jail.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent four years in Evin Prison in Tehran and one under house arrest.
Gabriella was separated from her mother and stayed with her grandparents.
Before her arrest Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked as a project manager for charity Thompson Reuters Foundation.
She was previously employed by international development charity BBC Media Action.
Richard Ratcliffe has been campaigning for the release of his wife since she was arrested in 2016.
In 2017 Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then speaking as the Foreign Secretary, described Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s visit to Iran as “simply teaching people journalism”.
Both her family and employer said that this was untrue and questions were raised as to whether the statement could impact Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case.
Money matters
According to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family, the charity worker was told by Iranian authorities that she was being detained because of the UK’s failure to pay an outstanding £400 million debt to Iran.
The UK Government has since confirmed that it does owe Iran hundreds of millions of pounds after it failed to deliver tanks to the country in the 1970s.
Speaking as foreign secretary in 2017, Boris Johnson promised to pay the debt, according to Mr Ratcliffe.
The debt remains unpaid.
Second prison sentence
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s original sentence was due to end on 7 March 2021, but one week later she was tried on a new charge of making “propaganda against the system”.
The trial took place at Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court and resulted in Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe receiving a one-year prison sentence and a travel ban.
Following the second sentence, Mr Ratcliffe expressed fears that his wife was facing an “open-ended detention” until the long-running debt dispute between the UK and Iran has been settled by the British Government.
Attempts to appeal the most recent verdict have been quashed by the Iranian Government.
Hunger strikes
Mr Ratcliffe started a hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on 24 October, making today the 19th day of his demonstration.
This is the second of Richard Ratcliffe’s hunger strikes.
Previously he camped in front of the Iranian Embassy for 15 days in summer 2019, a move which he said resulted in getting his daughter home in October of the same year.
This is Richard Ratcliffe’s second hunger strike. His first was outside the Iranian Embassy in 2017.
What’s next?
Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani is due to meet officials from the FCDO in London, after which Mr Ratcliffe will meet Foreign Office minister James Cleverly.
Mr Ratcliffe told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he hopes his actions will prompt progress in the process of bringing his wife back to the UK.
“The point of a hunger strike is you hope to sort of shake things up and move things forward, so fingers crossed.”
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HeadlineWhy is Richard Ratcliffe on hunger strike?
Short HeadlineRichard Ratcliffe's hunger strike explained
StandfirstAs his hunger strike enters day 19, here's what you need to know about Richard Ratcliffe's latest attempt to get his wife home.
Today is day 19 of Richard Ratcliffe’s hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). But why is he there?
Mr Ratcliffe, husband of imprisoned charity worker Nazanin Zagheri-Ratcliffe, has been outside the FCDO for two and a half weeks.
He has been visited by celebrities, politicians and members of the public and is flanked by two members of his family each night.
But why is he demonstrating and what is he hoping to achieve?
Who is Richard Ratcliffe?
Richard Ratcliffe is the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national who has been in custody in Iran since 2016 after she was accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has always denied all of the charges against her.
She had taken the couple’s then-one-year-old daughter Gabriella to see family in Iran when she was arrested and sentenced to five years in jail.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent four years in Evin Prison in Tehran and one under house arrest.
Gabriella was separated from her mother and stayed with her grandparents.
Before her arrest Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked as a project manager for charity Thompson Reuters Foundation.
She was previously employed by international development charity BBC Media Action.
Richard Ratcliffe has been campaigning for the release of his wife since she was arrested in 2016.
In 2017 Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then speaking as the Foreign Secretary, described Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s visit to Iran as “simply teaching people journalism”.
Both her family and employer said that this was untrue and questions were raised as to whether the statement could impact Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case.
Money matters
According to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family, the charity worker was told by Iranian authorities that she was being detained because of the UK’s failure to pay an outstanding £400 million debt to Iran.
The UK Government has since confirmed that it does owe Iran hundreds of millions of pounds after it failed to deliver tanks to the country in the 1970s.
Speaking as foreign secretary in 2017, Boris Johnson promised to pay the debt, according to Mr Ratcliffe.
The debt remains unpaid.
Second prison sentence
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s original sentence was due to end on 7 March 2021, but one week later she was tried on a new charge of making “propaganda against the system”.
The trial took place at Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court and resulted in Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe receiving a one-year prison sentence and a travel ban.
Following the second sentence, Mr Ratcliffe expressed fears that his wife was facing an “open-ended detention” until the long-running debt dispute between the UK and Iran has been settled by the British Government.
Attempts to appeal the most recent verdict have been quashed by the Iranian Government.
Hunger strikes
Mr Ratcliffe started a hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on 24 October, making today the 19th day of his demonstration.
This is the second of Richard Ratcliffe’s hunger strikes.
Previously he camped in front of the Iranian Embassy for 15 days in summer 2019, a move which he said resulted in getting his daughter home in October of the same year.
This is Richard Ratcliffe’s second hunger strike. His first was outside the Iranian Embassy in 2017.
What’s next?
Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani is due to meet officials from the FCDO in London, after which Mr Ratcliffe will meet Foreign Office minister James Cleverly.
Mr Ratcliffe told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he hopes his actions will prompt progress in the process of bringing his wife back to the UK.
“The point of a hunger strike is you hope to sort of shake things up and move things forward, so fingers crossed.”
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