Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK govt mishandled cases of detainees in Iran: report

UK govt mishandled cases of detainees in Iran: report

A report by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has criticized the UK government for its handling of the cases of several dual nationals detained by Iran, suggesting “significant suffering” was inflicted on detainees and their families.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were among a number of people arrested and jailed in Iran.

The report determined that the British government wasted numerous opportunities to secure their release.

The committee said fear of annoying the US and taking legal advice that was later dismissed were among the reasons why the Foreign & Commonwealth Office had proved “ineffectual” at retrieving Zaghari-Ratcliffe or Ashoori sooner.

It added that broader government disorder — marked by secrecy, lack of coordination and successive ministerial appointments — had hindered the FCO’s ability to operate effectively.

The report said in many cases, progress was only made in securing the release of detainees due to public pressure being brought against ministers.

It also found that the initial refusal to engage with Iran over the repayment of $500 million owed from a failed tank deal in the 1970s had actively hindered relations and negotiations over individual releases.

“We heard from a number of families in private that there was a significant trust deficit between them and the government, primarily brought about through poor communication and lack of transparency on the part of the government,” the report said.

“Families are frequently assured by officials and ministers that they are ‘doing all they can’ to secure the release of their detained family members. This is an inadequate response.

“To communicate standard diplomatic representations as substantive actions to families of detainees with little or no further detail is not conducive to a constructive and supportive working partnership.”

Two former foreign secretaries, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss — both of whom later served as prime minister — were named as having “let down” families while in post for making inaccurate statements about specific cases.

Truss was also heavily criticized for her behavior in the failed attempts to secure the release of US-UK-Iranian environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who was set to be released alongside Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori but remains imprisoned in Iran.

After the terms of Tahbaz’s release changed, Truss “failed to let either the family or US officials know that Morad was not to be released,” the report said.

“Liz Truss eventually called the family to say that ‘Morad is now a US problem,’ implying that she would not put further effort into his release, and she did not have time to speak to them further.”

Another former foreign secretary, current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, was criticized for wrongly saying Zaghari-Ratcliffe had received diplomatic protection from the government while in prison.

“This episode serves to illustrate an inconsistent and, at times, clumsy approach by the government,” the report said.

The committee’s chair, Alicia Kearns, described “ministerial clumsiness, serious and avoidable errors and even callous and hurtful comments to families” as having been mentioned repeatedly by victims’ families while describing their experiences.

Names of detainees were often misspelt or mispronounced by officials, Kearns said, and “for dual nationals their ‘Britishness’ too often, they felt, was in question.”

She added that “the most heinous failure of a minister” had been telling the Tahbaz family “you’re no longer our problem.”

An FCO spokesperson told The Guardian: “(UK) Consular officials are available 24/7 for families to receive tailored support. The foreign secretary and (FCO) ministers are fully engaged in complex cases and have raised concerns with foreign governments.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×