London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

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.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×