Richard Ratcliffe said his family is “stuck in the same status quo” after his meeting with Government officials and that the circumstances that led to his hunger strike haven't changed.
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Richard Ratcliffe has described his meeting with Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly as “depressing”.
Mr Ratcliffe said that Mr Cleverly had emphasised the meeting with Iranian officials was “cordial”. The Foreign Office Minister said that he couldn’t give a timeline on the release of Richard’s wife, British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Mr Ratcliffe said: “If I’m honest, quite a depressing meeting.”
Mr Ratcliffe said he had come away from the meeting with no hope: “I can’t see what’s stopping [Iran] from continuing to play games with Nazanin.”
“I think by being here, Nazanin is probably safe for a few weeks. But what’s to stop them threatening to put her in prison again?”
Debt
Mr Ratcliffe said that the UK government had refused to talk about the £400m debt it is alleged to owe Iran: “We asked about the debt and they wouldn’t talk about it, I mean really clammed up.
“He (Mr Cleverly) said ‘our position is well known’, and we said ‘well, look, frankly it’s not well known, you haven’t told us. I don’t know if you’ve told anyone else but we’ve never heard it.”
Iranian officials have told Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family that she is being detained due to the UK’s refusal to repay.
Mr Ratcliffe continued: “I don’t feel they’ve given a clear enough message to Iran that hostage-taking is wrong. I don’t think there are any consequences to Iran at present for its continuing taking hostages of British citizens and using them.
“There was acknowledgement that clearly Nazanin is being held as leverage. No readiness to change course.”
Mr Ratcliffe continues his hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office. He is on day 19.
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HeadlineRichard Ratcliffe: meeting with foreign Minister “depressing”
Short HeadlineRatcliffe: Minister meeting "depressing"
StandfirstThe husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said he was "pretty irritable" in the meeting.
Richard Ratcliffe has described his meeting with Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly as “depressing”.
Mr Ratcliffe said that Mr Cleverly had emphasised the meeting with Iranian officials was “cordial”. The Foreign Office Minister said that he couldn’t give a timeline on the release of Richard’s wife, British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Mr Ratcliffe said: “If I’m honest, quite a depressing meeting.”
Mr Ratcliffe said he had come away from the meeting with no hope: “I can’t see what’s stopping [Iran] from continuing to play games with Nazanin.”
“I think by being here, Nazanin is probably safe for a few weeks. But what’s to stop them threatening to put her in prison again?”
Debt
Mr Ratcliffe said that the UK government had refused to talk about the £400m debt it is alleged to owe Iran: “We asked about the debt and they wouldn’t talk about it, I mean really clammed up.
“He (Mr Cleverly) said ‘our position is well known’, and we said ‘well, look, frankly it’s not well known, you haven’t told us. I don’t know if you’ve told anyone else but we’ve never heard it.”
Iranian officials have told Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family that she is being detained due to the UK’s refusal to repay.
Mr Ratcliffe continued: “I don’t feel they’ve given a clear enough message to Iran that hostage-taking is wrong. I don’t think there are any consequences to Iran at present for its continuing taking hostages of British citizens and using them.
“There was acknowledgement that clearly Nazanin is being held as leverage. No readiness to change course.”
Mr Ratcliffe continues his hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office. He is on day 19.
