How I wish our PM thought of someone other than himself

"Just for clarity" Alegrias neither was I but posts that alluded to him putting his foot in it before she'd been arrested were wrong and needed correcting.

No attempt to "excuse" him on my part WW just a desire that the information being given here is correct.

We're on the same page Smileless2012

Alegrias.

JenniferEccles

I agree maddyone.
None of us know the truth about this particular case, only what we’ve been told by the family.

Although I can understand why the husband would want to do everything he can to try to secure his wife’s release I don’t think going on a hunger strike is a sensible plan.
How long will it go on? He’s 17 days in already so must surely be close to collapsing. What about his daughter? She is relying on him.

He is being monitored every day by his sister who is a doctor. He has said that he will not go to the bitter end - he will stop as soon as is his body needs him to.

Kali2

Whitewavemark2

And she is a U.K. citizen just to make it clear

She is, and married to a Brit, with a Brit daughter. Some of the comments on here make me feel truly sick.

The money has to be repaid, but Johnson does not want to, and for that reason, has not made any representations to fight the case or sent any enyoys to try and rescue her- because doing so would mean having to re-imburse the money- this is not blackmail, as it is their money.

It has been reported many times that Iran does not recognise dual citizenship so, sadly, that's a dead duck even if UKFO is or has been using that fact.

Smileless2012

"Just for clarity" Alegrias neither was I but posts that alluded to him putting his foot in it before she'd been arrested were wrong and needed correcting.

No attempt to "excuse" him on my part WW just a desire that the information being given here is correct.

Quite.

I didn’t know who the man in the woolly hat was either, it could have been a family friend or somebody who had taken up that cause.
We all know that Iran does what it wants to do and doesn’t recognise dual nationality.I don’t believe for one moment that the FO here, or the equivalent in many other countries (connected to the holding in Iran of citizens from around the world) have done nothing...indeed I think they will have done everything within their power.It’s a mistaken belief though to think that we, the US or any other country can strong arm Iran, and a lesson ( should anyone need one) to keep out of that country at all costs.

''I didn’t know who the man in the woolly hat was either, it could have been a family friend or somebody who had taken up that cause.''

he has a very distinctive face- but more to the point, his face and hunger strike and family tragedy has been all over the Press on all sides, all the News Channels for months, years even- and certainly for the last 16 days.

So perhaps not surprising that some of us find it strange to have to explain who he is, to people who regularly claim to keep up with the News and Politics.

Baggs, the United Kingdom recognises dual- nationality- so she is a citizen of the UK, just as much as you, your children and grand-children. If THEY were wrongly held, you would expect our Government to do everything they can to free them and be returned to your family.

I think you may be spoiling for a fight Kali
I don’t think he does have a distinctive face and certainly haven’t seen him on the news recently.Neither do I take a daily newspaper.
I have never claimed ( regularly or otherwise) to keep up with all news and politics items.
Some people may have instantly recognised him.....others not.
Stop making a big deal of it.

Kali2

Baggs, the United Kingdom recognises dual- nationality- so she is a citizen of the UK, just as much as you, your children and grand-children. If THEY were wrongly held, you would expect our Government to do everything they can to free them and be returned to your family.

The UK government will have done all that it can already, and will still be doing it, regarding UK nationals held on trumped up charges in Iran ( and anywhere else.)

No, lemongrove, the point of this thread is that the UK Governement is NOT doing anything- because they don't want to repay the money. And this is made even worse by the fact Johnson is personally responsible, to a large extent.

For the love of god “the man in the woolly hat”? He has a name, Richard Ratcliffe, and I’m sure his heart would be warmed by the amount of ‘support’ shown to him, his imprisoned wife and his daughter growing up without her mother on this forum.

And as for the issue of dual nationality, we’re hearing the same old chestnuts being repeated here. Everyone knows that Iran does not recognise dual nationality. That’s not the issue – if she were dual Irish/UK and in prison in Ireland the argument ’release her because she also our national’ would not apply either – that’s not how dual nationality works.

Where it does have relevance is that it is incumbent on the UK to do what they can to obtain her release.

And as for the ‘stay away from Iran’ argument, words almost fail me, her parents live there, her daughter’s grandparents live there.

You simply do not know that the UK is not doing anything.
Other countries have people being held in Iran and they don’t have a historical debt, but still can’t get them released.
I have great sympathy for Richard Ratcliffe and his wife, child and family and in his position would do all I could to keep this in the public eye.
There is a limit to what the governments of countries can do though, and the vile regime in Iran simply relishes their own power and what they can do there.

Petera.....I doubt many if any people with dual nationality with Iran will now venture to go there, no matter if they have family there.Would you?!
How do you know ( short answer...you don’t) what has been done and is being done behind the scenes by the government.

lemongrove

You simply do not know that the UK is not doing anything.
Other countries have people being held in Iran and they don’t have a historical debt, but still can’t get them released.
I have great sympathy for Richard Ratcliffe and his wife, child and family and in his position would do all I could to keep this in the public eye.
There is a limit to what the governments of countries can do though, and the vile regime in Iran simply relishes their own power and what they can do there.

And you simply do not know that the UK is doing anything useful.

Yet you continue to trust the man who couldn't even be bothered to read his briefing and told the Iranian government, falsely, that she was involved in training journalists.

The Iranian government know that she wasn't involved in training journalists. They know that was BJ's blunder and yet she's still incarcerated.

They don't care if the charges are true or false do they, they are using the poor woman.

Of all the things I dislike Johnson for this is far and away the worst thing he has ever been responsible for. It sums him up totally. Incapable of engaging his brain before opening his mouth. My heart bleeds for this man.

Smileless2012

The Iranian government know that she wasn't involved in training journalists. They know that was BJ's blunder and yet she's still incarcerated.

They don't care if the charges are true or false do they, they are using the poor woman.

No-one is suggesting that the Iranian government are behaving properly. They are suggesting that our government and in particular our Prime Minster when he was Foreign Secretary, are making it worse.

Petera it was certainly a blunder on Johnson’s part, but facts are facts.....he did not tell the Iranian government.... it was at a Parliamentary Committee here in London.
What’s the excuse for foreign nationals held by the Iranians (who don’t owe Iran any money) they are held for years and years too..
If Iran wants to do something to people there, it will do.

lemongrove Petera.....I doubt many if any people with dual nationality with Iran will now venture to go there, no matter if they have family there.Would you?!

My answer to that, which is probably not what you expect given the punctuation at the end, is neither here nor there.

The point is she is there. Or should we just send her a note saying 'lemongrove thinks you shouldn’t have gone, so tough'?

Don’t be so silly Petera

lemongrove

Petera it was certainly a blunder on Johnson’s part, but facts are facts.....he did not tell the Iranian government.... it was at a Parliamentary Committee here in London.
What’s the excuse for foreign nationals held by the Iranians (who don’t owe Iran any money) they are held for years and years too..
If Iran wants to do something to people there, it will do.

Do you want to stop digging? I can still see the top of your head.

Johnson did not tell the Iranian government? If only he'd realised that they can read the news in Iran he certainly would have been more careful.

lemongrove

Don’t be so silly Petera

Well what are you saying?

lemongrove ''I think you may be spoiling for a fight Kali ''

no I am NOT.but this case truly upsets me deeply and some of the uncaring sentiments expressed here make me beyond sad, and angry.

She is a British citizen- end of. Even though she is a bit darker than you, and was born elsewhere. And she did not choose to go on a jolly there, but to visit her parents. The disdain shown for dual cititzens here is frequent and clear. Johnson is NOT doing anything, because he does not want to repay the money they clearly owe- and she, her husband and daughter, are just insignificant collateral damage!

It is sickening, and I just can't stand the way this selfish, incompetent and (unprintable...) PM is supported by some here, whatever he does, however despicable and fraudulent even, and whomever gets hurt in his way.

He is just incapable of saying sorry, and many seem incapable of accepting is he a nasty, selfish, incompetent and very dangerous clown.

Actually I think a few posters are spoiling for a fight....getting far too confrontational.
Which is silly...we all wish that Nazarine and other UK national would be released and all have great sympathy for their cases.
It’s the regime in Iran that needs the verbal flak on here, not anybody else.