Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says UK official witnessed her signing false confession to secure Iran release
GuardianOct 19, 2022
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: UK Foreign Office Complicit in Forced Confession
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The Facts
Aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has accused the UK Foreign Office of being complicit in forcing her to sign a false confession to the Iranian government as part of the last-minute terms of her release from detainment in March.
According to a letter written by lawyers from the human rights group Redress to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was accompanied to the airport by Iranian officials on the day of her release and forced to sign a document admitting to crimes she hadn't committed in the presence of a UK official.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
This latest revelation is just more evidence of the callous behavior of Foreign Office officials in the handling of Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case. It took a succession of foreign secretaries - prompted by the persistence of ordinary citizens - years to settle the debt it blatantly owed to secure her freedom. A full investigation must be carried out.
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite criticisms, the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a fierce diplomatic challenge that took tremendous legwork to secure. Although successive foreign secretaries struggled with this challenge, Truss showed great leadership and personal interest in bringing her home.
