How many foreign secretaries does it take….?

merlotgran

I was disappointed that she publicly disagreed with her husband for thanking the government for her release. He will also be angry that it has taken so long but maybe thought that relief and gratitude should come before criticism in these early days.

I would have been more disappointed if, after such an appalling time, she had felt that she had to feign agreement with her husband and 'thank' a government whose leader she must certainly feel had previously worsened her ordeal. Especially when it is so obvious that the measures that brought about her eventual release were about our need for oil - if our supply of that was still plentiful, she would still be detained in Iran.

The kind of anger she must be feeling is best let out, not bottled up for the sake of someone else, not even her husband.

In her position, I certainly wouldn't gave been thanking the government.
If I had, just to please someone else, I'm pretty sure I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.

As it is, if she goes on to learn that they actually did more for her than she thought, she can give them genuine thanks in the future, which would be much more meaningful.

Calendargirl

WWM2

Yes, I do think that she should settle with her family, for now, and just let them all get used to being together again.

But she is doing just that. What makes you think she isn’t doing so?

WWM2

Yes, I do think that she should settle with her family, for now, and just let them all get used to being together again.

I feel sorry for her husband, he looks 100x more exhausted than she does.

I wonder if she’ll write a book in time for Christmas?

Calendargirl

^She doesn’t bow down to her husband’s wishes, what on earth are you saying?^

I never said she should ‘bow down….’

It appeared to me that her husband, who has campaigned tirelessly for her release, probably now wants to embrace just that, and try and get back to being a family again, which I’m sure will not be easy after what they have all gone through.

But implicit in your post was that Ratcliffe should now settle with her family and deny her emotions and opinions over the way the government behaved.

My comment was not misogynistic. Does her husband deserve no consideration? He has also been to hell and back so thanking the government was probably a result of all the anxiety he must have felt when Nazadine’s longed for relief was imminent.

It would be nice to be able to comment on here without being pounced on with ridiculous OTT accusations but it was ever thus.

Maudi

If it was as simple as paying monies owed why wasn't the other British hostage/prisoner released? What are other countries doing to help their people held prisoner in Iran? Lots of unanswered questions in my opinion.

Because the British government were WRONGLY associating the debt to the hostages.

It was a total lack of imagination and will on the part of the U.K. government.

She doesn’t bow down to her husband’s wishes, what on earth are you saying?

I never said she should ‘bow down….’

It appeared to me that her husband, who has campaigned tirelessly for her release, probably now wants to embrace just that, and try and get back to being a family again, which I’m sure will not be easy after what they have all gone through.

If it was as simple as paying monies owed why wasn't the other British hostage/prisoner released? What are other countries doing to help their people held prisoner in Iran? Lots of unanswered questions in my opinion.

Apparently there's a concerted campaign going on via Twitter etc to discredit Nazanin and tell lies. And either people are part of it or they are falling for it.

Imagine that.

He of course could have mentioned government incompetence - also a big factor.

The initial tweet of Hunts subsequent long one.

“Those criticizing Nazanin have got it so wrong. She doesn’t owe us gratitude: we owe her an explanation…”

Yes, these complicated situations are just that, complicated

Iam64

Thanks for posting Hunt’s Twitter GrannyGravy13. He’s gone up in my estimation since he stopped being Health secretary. Maybe it’s freed him to be more honest

I think that the second tweet down is indicative of the major stumbling block, for the Governments negotiations.

Calendargirl

merlotgran

I was disappointed that she publicly disagreed with her husband for thanking the government for her release. He will also be angry that it has taken so long but maybe thought that relief and gratitude should come before criticism in these early days.

I thought her husband looked distinctly uncomfortable in her interview last night. She apologised to him for what she said, but it seemed to me beforehand he had not wanted her to say what she did, but she went ahead anyway.

I would have expected her to want to keep a low profile and just enjoy being back with her family for the time being. It must be a huge upheaval for all of them, especially the little girl.

I can’t believe what I’m reading here.

She is an individual with her own thoughts and rights.

She doesn’t bow down to her husbands wishes, what on earth are you saying?

She has been incarcerated under terrible conditions for 6 years.

She continued to be so because the British government wrongly associated the debt we owed to her incarceration.

If I was her I’d be bloody furious, particularly with the shit of a foreign Secretary whose blabber mouth got my sentence doubled, and who is now unbelievably the Prime Minister.
And do not think this was all about the hostages, this was as much about Iranian oil.

I think Ratcliffe has been very constrained in her statements, and I wish her all the best.

Thanks for posting Hunt’s Twitter GrannyGravy13. He’s gone up in my estimation since he stopped being Health secretary. Maybe it’s freed him to be more honest

Iam64 PECS You took the words out of my mouth.

Jeremy Hunts full Twitter statement

Petera

Iam64

There’s a peculiar misogyny about criticising a woman who expresses disagreement with her husband’s approach to our government’s involvement over 6 years.
No doubt she’s been under pressure to give an interview. Such a pity she didn’t conform to the expectations of some posters.

One of the first things my DP said to me when she was released was to wonder how long it would take people to start criticising her if she didn't live up to some stereotype they'd built up in their heads.

It is unbelievable yet predictable

PECS
It made no difference to John McCarthy and Brian Keenan: both white and British.

Iam64

There’s a peculiar misogyny about criticising a woman who expresses disagreement with her husband’s approach to our government’s involvement over 6 years.
No doubt she’s been under pressure to give an interview. Such a pity she didn’t conform to the expectations of some posters.

One of the first things my DP said to me when she was released was to wonder how long it would take people to start criticising her if she didn't live up to some stereotype they'd built up in their heads.

Why should she keep a low profile?

Successive governments have not seen her situation as any kind of priority. I suspect if she had been English British it might have been a different story.

Jeremy Hunt has just been quoted on GMB that Nazanin was right not to apologise and it was up to the past Foreign Secretaries including him, to obtain her freedom.
Let's hope the government listen to him and get the others home ASAP. We must do this.

There’s a peculiar misogyny about criticising a woman who expresses disagreement with her husband’s approach to our government’s involvement over 6 years.
No doubt she’s been under pressure to give an interview. Such a pity she didn’t conform to the expectations of some posters.

The U.K. did not hold her prisoner (both in jail and house arrest at her parents) it was the brutal and heartless Iranian regime.

There have been sanctions imposed on Iran by all Countries in the Western World. If the U.K. under a Conservative Government had broken these sanctions this would have been a breach if International Law. There has in my opinion been negotiations with America and Europe to find away to repay the debt without breaking the sanctions.

I am extremely grateful that there was a successful outcome for Nazanin and one other, but there is still one couple there who were not released as promised. That is Irans fault not the U.K. Government,