Zaghari-Ratcliffe - why doesn’t the U.K. pay what we owe Iran

Wouldn’t it be better, when negotiating Nazanins release, to start from a position where we don’t owe Iran millions of pounds and have a legal obligation to pay the money back?

suziewoozie Other hostages have been released because their governments have done deals and, generally, they have been from countries that have lower international profiles.

More British hostages are held than of any other country except the USA. I have since found out that there is a fourth British hostage in Iran. A young woman, who worked for the British Council and is serving a 12 year sentence for spying.

The history of relations between Britain and Iran during the since WW2 and in the reign of the Shah are generally seen as exploitative and this adds an extra dimension to any negotiations and the Iranians are very clever in only arresting people with joint nationality. British/Iranian, who they can say are their citizens and we have no negotiation rights for them.

monica If you are so concerned about the Iranian hostages, both male and female, why hasn’t this subject been brought up before? And I would respectfully like to add that most posters are aware of the hostage situation in Iran and could name a couple if not all (more than you posted btw)

I disagree with your logic relating to Ratcliffe, as indeed do the British authorities, who very much understand that Ratcliffe is being used as leverage. Indeed there could be a very good case argued that the British Foreign Secretary was instrumental in her arrest as a result of utter naivety and lack of diplomatic skill.

To repay our debt to save a woman’s life is a simple enough transaction to understand.

Muddling it with other unfortunate hostages doesn’t help, and to suggest that I have a different attitude because Ratcliffe is female.

Words fail!

Monica I did post earlier a link re Anoosheh Ashoori, one of the others, a man, with family, I agree with you.

M0nica

Ok I will address the issues. There is no connection between Nazarin Zhagari-Ratcliffe and the money owed. It is not her debt and the Iranian government has never officially linked the two, although it has been considered that there is a link. It is a hostage situation and we have no guarantee of any kind that she would be released if the money said to be owed was paid.

If the money was paid tomorrow the Iranians would be very likely to say that she has been sentenced to another year in prison and a years house arrest and as these were for crimes under Iranian law, she cannot be released until these sentences have been served. Then if something else came up, they would keep her longer. There does seem to be a naive belief that if we pay the money she will be on the next plane out, she might be, but she is more likely to continue to be held.

There are 15 European and North American hostages currently being held in Iran. Several have been executed. Three of them are British. Does anyone know of or can they name the other two hostages? One is serving a 12 year sentence after being convicted of spyng. The other has been accused of spying but does not seem to have come to trial. He was arrested in 2017, the year after Nazarin. Where are the newspaper headings about them? What about their spouses and children?

If any of the hostages in Iran were members of my family I would be moving heaven and earth to release them, as would anyone, but if we show willing to pay a ransome now, how many other British Nationals will be arrested and held as hostages in the future everytime Iran wanted something - embargos lifted etc. One of those could possibly be my DDiL, D, DGD. or if not mine certainly someone's.

Finally a thought, why do we have different attitudes to the male and female hostages. Mother and daughter, really pulls the heart strings it seems, but fathers and children do not and get no publicity at all.

Of course there are no guarantees but other countries have successfully negotiated the release of their citizens. The Govt accepts the money is owed. Find a way to pay it to avoid breaking sanctions and then let’s see what happens. I’m fully aware of the fact that there are others in her situation who get much less publicity - so what are you saying, she should get less? This always happens with all sorts of victims - some are more ‘acceptable’ than others + younger, prettier, mothers, whatever. It’s unfair and awful but we don’t help the other prisoners by ‘demoting’ her.

Just what I think too Monica
Other British held by the Iranians don’t get a look in, I feel sorry for them all, and any prisoners abroad in a terrible country (held on trumped up charges.)
It’s always difficult if not impossible to get them freed.
Governments can’t give in to pirates, there will always be another hostage taken.

Excellent post M0nica

Ok I will address the issues. There is no connection between Nazarin Zhagari-Ratcliffe and the money owed. It is not her debt and the Iranian government has never officially linked the two, although it has been considered that there is a link. It is a hostage situation and we have no guarantee of any kind that she would be released if the money said to be owed was paid.

If the money was paid tomorrow the Iranians would be very likely to say that she has been sentenced to another year in prison and a years house arrest and as these were for crimes under Iranian law, she cannot be released until these sentences have been served. Then if something else came up, they would keep her longer. There does seem to be a naive belief that if we pay the money she will be on the next plane out, she might be, but she is more likely to continue to be held.

There are 15 European and North American hostages currently being held in Iran. Several have been executed. Three of them are British. Does anyone know of or can they name the other two hostages? One is serving a 12 year sentence after being convicted of spyng. The other has been accused of spying but does not seem to have come to trial. He was arrested in 2017, the year after Nazarin. Where are the newspaper headings about them? What about their spouses and children?

If any of the hostages in Iran were members of my family I would be moving heaven and earth to release them, as would anyone, but if we show willing to pay a ransome now, how many other British Nationals will be arrested and held as hostages in the future everytime Iran wanted something - embargos lifted etc. One of those could possibly be my DDiL, D, DGD. or if not mine certainly someone's.

Finally a thought, why do we have different attitudes to the male and female hostages. Mother and daughter, really pulls the heart strings it seems, but fathers and children do not and get no publicity at all.

Iran what a country, women are arrested for riding bikes and have acid thrown over them for wearing the wrong sort of hijab They are at flat, illegal imprisonments are the norm!

Sarnia Iran are not just included on that committee they are the Commissioners leading it.

tickingbird

Iran is a disgrace - period. Using this poor woman in such a way is beyond despicable.

The UN have included Iran to sit on their committee for women's rights! You couldn't make it up.

Yes. I’ve just heard that, too

Btw I’ve only just understood that she’s been given a year’s travel ban on top of the year’s imprisonments so two years ( minimum ?) before she could come home.

The first sentence in the article really only refers to the issue of the interest doesn’t it? I don’t think it’s written in a helpful way at all.

This, from July 2019 ‘Arab News’:

A UK court has ruled in London's favour in a long-standing financial dispute with Iran that has wider political ramifications for Britain's increasingly strained relationship with the country.

The case revolves a payment of £650 million made by Iran in the 1970s to buy 1,500 Chieftain tanks from Britain and repair 250 more.

The deal was blocked after the 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed the Western-backed Shah.

Britain kept the paid portion of the contract.

Just under £400 million ($500 million, 450 million euros) are now being kept in a frozen British bank account.
Sending the money to Tehran is further complicated by EU and US sanctions linked to Iran's nuclear programme.

A judge with the UK High Court ruled on Wednesday that Britain did not owe Iran interest payments of more than £20 million that had accumulated on the sum over 10 years.
Justice Stephen Phillips cited a precedent case that found claims made by any "Iranian person, entity or body, including the Iranian government" were invalid in commercial disputes because of the Western sanctions.

And others that are being held?
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/19/briton-held-in-iran-completely-shut-off-after-losing-phone-access

Iran is a disgrace - period. Using this poor woman in such a way is beyond despicable.

Yes, imagine if they owed us the money!

Set the poor women free, and then the discussions and negotiations can commence.
I believe the discussions, negotiations and legal processes have already happened. We owe them. We should pay up.

We need to get this lady home asap.

Kali2

Monica and Lemongrove, are you good Christians, I wonder?

I think it's a shocking blow and I feel sorry for Richard and Gabriella, my heart goes out to them. I also worry about Nazanins health.
I do think the post by Kalu is totally unnecessary Monica and Lemongrove should not be asked that sort of question as it's no one's business, and their point is valid. What if the demands become higher for other people detained over there.
I just dont know what the answer is, like others have said though, what Boris said did not help.

lemongrove

...and you know that Iran cannot be trusted with anything
suziew not a single thing!

Yes - but there have been successful deals done with several other countries in recent months when Iran kept its side of the bargain so why shouldn’t we manage to achieve that? Why do you think our Govt shouldn’t strike a deal as other Govt’s have ?

Can the UK- currently?

...and you know that Iran cannot be trusted with anything
suziew not a single thing!

GrannyGravy13

Iran has no morals when it comes to the treatment of women, any women! She has been detained for another year on trumped up charges.

Iran is effectively blackmailing the UK.

Set the poor women free, and then the discussions and negotiations can commence.

How the UN can justify Iran being elected as the Commissioner to oversee women’s rights worldwide is a joke, accept it’s not funny!

Of course they won’t set her free and then start discussions and negotiations. It simply doesn’t work like that. And you know that.

* flipping autocorrect except not accept