The Iranian ambassador has suggested that Boris Johnson’s false claims about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe made “no change” to her case – because it matched the country’s reasons for imprisoning her.
Richard Ratcliffe – whose wife has been imprisoned in Iran since April 2016 on spying charges – has insisted that Johnson’s incorrect claim when he was foreign secretary that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran “teaching people journalism” was hugely detrimental.
But asked how damaging Johnson’s 2017 comments were, Hamid Baeidinejad told Channel 4 News: “That was the initial wrong-doing by the lady. She was identifying some reporters to be connected to illegal activities.
“For us, there is no change. Because that was in fact the reason for her to be in prison,” he said.
“But I understand that this statement by at that time the former secretary of state Boris Johnson was in fact more sensitive in the domestic policy of the UK, but for us there was no change.”
Johnson, who today became one of the final two contenders to replace Theresa May in Number 10, has previously apologised for his comments.
However, in a TV debate to become the next Tory leader on Tuesday, he said his comments “didn’t, I think, make any difference”.
“But if you point the finger at the UK, all you are doing is exculpating those who are truly responsible which is the Iranian revolutionary guard and that is reality and people should realise what this regime is up to, and that is where the responsibility lies,” Johnson said.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has a five-year-old daughter in the UK, has been on a hunger strike for the past five days, with her husband matching her efforts outside the Iranian Embassy in London.
Ratcliffe told HuffPost UK on Tuesday that he was facing hostile behaviour outside the country’s outpost in west London, alleging that officials had called police to report him, installed metal barricades outside the building and had started loud maintenance work in a bid to stop him talking to the press.
But Baeidinejad suggested Zaghari-Ratcliffe could still apply for clemency, adding the Iranian authorities were ready to help.
“There are certain provisions for clemency but there are certain requirements and if the requirements would be met, certainly there is a solution and we are ready to help,” he said.