Nazanin being used as £400m 'bargaining chip', husband tells LBC on day 10 of hunger strike

2 November 2021, 15:16

James O’Brien interviews Richard Ratcliffe during his hunger strike

By James Morris

The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has told LBC she is being used as a “bargaining chip” on day 10 of his hunger strike.

Richard Ratcliffe repeated his assertion that Iran is holding Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe “hostage” over £400m that it “wants back off the Brits”.

According to her family, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was told by Iranian authorities that she was being detained because of the UK's failure to pay an outstanding £400 million debt to Iran.

This relates to the non-delivery of tanks from Britain ordered by the Shah of Iran before he was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Richard Ratcliffe is on day 10 of his hunger strike outside the Foreign Office
Richard Ratcliffe is on day 10 of his hunger strike outside the Foreign Office. Picture: Getty

Asked by James O'Brien who he is trying to “shame” with his ongoing hunger strike outside the Foreign Office, Mr Ratcliffe said: “It’s meant to shame the British government… it is clear at this stage that Nazanin is being used as a bargaining chip.

“The threat of prison is a game the Iranians do. They will follow through.

“It’s also clear they are holding her because they want their money back off the Brits.”

Richard Ratcliffe said his wife is being used as a 'bargaining chip'
Richard Ratcliffe said his wife is being used as a 'bargaining chip'. Picture: Getty

He added of the £400m debt from 42 years ago: “It’s been a long, bitter battle – a long time before we ever appeared on the scene.

“But when you start having your own citizens being taken hostage over it, it is time to re-think that policy.”

Mr Ratcliffe said he met new foreign secretary Liz Truss last week, and that he urged her to resolve the debt. He said Ms Truss “didn’t have an answer… she was new in post and felt fairly nervous”.

Read more: Metropolitan Police officers admit sharing photos of murdered sisters' bodies on Whatsapp

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national, has been in custody in the country since 2016 after being accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

She was taking her daughter Gabriella to see her family when she was arrested, and was sentenced to five years in prison shortly afterwards – spending four years in Evin Prison and one under house arrest.

Earlier this month, she lost an appeal against a second sentence of one year.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

A young caucasian man in pajamas in bed about to take some blue pills from a brown bottle

Urgent warning after two die in London taking ‘blue pills’

Doctor working with medical imaging and technology to provide accurate diagnosis.

New study reveals the childhood cancers which take the longest to diagnose

A Jewish boy has been hospitalised after a ‘racially motivated attack’ in Hampstead, a charity has said.

Jewish boy hospitalised after ‘racially motivated attack’ in Hampstead, north London

Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Hamas tells Gazans facing food shortages to stay away from US-linked aid deliveries

The Harvard University logo is displayed on a building at the school, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass.

Germany offers ‘exile campus’ to Harvard students after foreigner ban

Water St the morning after the tragic events just after the LFC trophy parade when a car was driven into the crowd injuring at least 50 people

Liverpool crash victim ‘pleaded with driver to stop’ before car mowed him down as motorist arrested for attempted murder

One in ten women say they have been spat on while running, a new study reveals.

'Hurtful and traumatising': Rise in men 'spitting' on women runners in disturbing new form of street harassment

Gayanne Potter told LBC she feels "absolutely sick".

Leading voiceover artist ‘violated’ by ScotRail AI announcements using her voice without 'permission'

The popular club's licence has been suspended following allegations that a woman was raped by a security guard in the vicinity of the venue

Heaven security guard accused of raping teenager was 'not permitted to work in UK' and 'used false ID to get job'

RFK Jr said that Covid-19 shots would be removed from the recommendations for certain groups.

Robert F Kennedy Jr drops Covid vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women - slamming lack of 'clinical data'

Rebecca Turner, 36, was found dead in Bangkok with her partner, Sam Melnick, in 2024.

Mother of British woman found dead in Bangkok hotel after 'unwitting hit of drugs' alleges Thai police ‘cover-up’

Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin and Alastair Stout will star as Hermione, Harry and Ron in the new Harry Potter TV series.

Harry Potter and the new cast revealed: First pic of child stars ahead of TV series

Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk (posing with former footballer Alan Hansen and the Premier League trophy) sent a message of support to victims of the crash

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk ‘praying for speedy recovery’ for those hurt in parade crash

(Clockwise from top left) Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Daniel Knorr and Margaret Reid

Four Just Stop Oil activists jailed over plot to disrupt Manchester Airport

The runaway couple went off-grid in early 2023 in an alleged attempt to stop their newborn baby being removed from their care.

Runaway aristocrat Constance Marten’s partner 'attacked' officers on post-natal ward while trying to 'escape'

Footage shows the driver reverse into a fan, which leads two spectators to punch and kick the car whilst it moves back and forth

Driver ‘followed ambulance through roadblock’ before Liverpool crash as man, 53, arrested on suspicion of ‘drug driving’