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

There’s no smoke without fire. I’m willing this to happen.....

Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP who is in close contact with Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family, also said there had been no confirmation so far.

"I am aware there are news reports circulating about the debt being paid to #FreeNazanin. I have spoken to her family and they have heard nothing confirming any of these rumours," she wrote on Twitter.

MayBee70 I totally agree. It's the fact that he seemed so little bothered by the way his stupidity had left her imprisoned for years that I find unforgivable.

MayBee70

He’s also responsible for her continued incarceration and I, for one, will never forgive him for it.

Well said and spot on.

Let’s wait and see if she comes home first.

GrannyGravy13

MayBee70

If Nazanin comes home I hope Johnson doesn’t take the credit for it.

Well if Government Ministers are working behind the scenes to get her home, it’s blatantly obvious that the Government will be responsible and take credit for her being freed? PM is head of Government?

He would have a bloody nerve if he did so, and his level of un-self awareness would be frightening.

He’s also responsible for her continued incarceration and I, for one, will never forgive him for it.

MayBee70

If Nazanin comes home I hope Johnson doesn’t take the credit for it.

Well if Government Ministers are working behind the scenes to get her home, it’s blatantly obvious that the Government will be responsible and take credit for her being freed? PM is head of Government?

suziewoozie I thought exactly the same, I will believe it when she is on UK soil.

If Nazanin comes home I hope Johnson doesn’t take the credit for it.

GrannyGravy13

BBC news are reporting that Americans have done a deal for one of their prisoners according to Tehran, America are denying it.

UK Government have put out a statement to the effect that she is being detained illegally, an Iranian spokesman has said if the UK pays up they will release her.

No change really

Yes I’ve been thinking this - is it Iran trying to put more pressure on both the US and UK by pretending it’s a done deal? Or is it a done deal and the Iranians have jumped the gun? Impossible to know and I’ll only believe it when the plane has taken off. Just so sorry for the family

So we sold the tanks twice and kept all the money?

BBC news are reporting that Americans have done a deal for one of their prisoners according to Tehran, America are denying it.

UK Government have put out a statement to the effect that she is being detained illegally, an Iranian spokesman has said if the UK pays up they will release her.

No change really

Chardy

Sparkling the tanks deal was done with the Shah, just before he was overthrown. Some were delivered. By the time the rest were ready, govt would not deal with Ayatollah, and sold them to Sadam who used the tanks against Iran.

How shameful that the UK sold the tanks to Sadam. They must have known what they were for.

And shameful that this poor woman has been allowed to suffer for four years because Johnson couldn't be bothered to watch what he was saying.

I hope this news is true and that she comes home very soon.

I hope we get all of them out if this is true.

Oh please let this be true!

Sparkling the tanks deal was done with the Shah, just before he was overthrown. Some were delivered. By the time the rest were ready, govt would not deal with Ayatollah, and sold them to Sadam who used the tanks against Iran.

Oh I hope that is true.

What a relief for her daughter and husband.

It looks as if the UK are finally going to pay their debt to Iran so this poor lady, used as a pawn all this time, can be freed.

My heart aches for this poor woman - and her family. In fact her sentence is two years - one in prison and the second year she is not allowed to leave the country. I wonder sometimes if her husband and daughter will ever see her again. I don’t know how any of the politicians involved in this sleep at night.

Women have little say in Iran. As for owing the money, if you have a debt you should pay it. Why did we do that deal with them in the first place? Did no one consider what this country were sending the tanks for? It really is a shaming set of circumstances. We should pay what we owe on condition that poor woman is reconciled with her family, she is a pawn in a big game. I dread to think what her state of mind must be. Perhaps government should consider more whom they are dealing with. Why has the money been kept? They didn’t deliver the goods. The details of the transaction should have been sorted out before they agreed to it.

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
M0nica people with dual nationality who enter Iran do so in the full knowledge that their British passport will not be recognised and they must travel on their Iranian one. There isn't anything hidden or deceitful about it, the Iranian authorities are quite open about it..

There are a lot of posts about how awful things are for women in Iran if only the same complaints were made about places like Saudi Arabia, who we are such big friends with and sell weapons to.

The appointment of Iran to a committee on women's rights might be because they have an extraordinary record of achievement in women's education and strangely enough so have Saudi qz.com/1223067/iran-and-saudi-arabia-lead-when-it-comes-to-women-in-science/

I have just heard Nazanin’s husband on Woman’s Hour. What a brave man he is. It was heart wrenching to hear how all their hopes had been dashed. He was asked what anyone could do to help his wife’s case and he said to write to our MPs.

I shall do that and hope others who feel equally incensed by the cruelty of the Iranian government, will do the same.

GrannyGravy13

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.

Good grief! That's even worse. Who makes these appointments?

M0nica

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.

USA and France - lower international profiles? And yes m fully aware of the history of our relationship with Iran. I still maintain we should settle the debt and see where that gets us.