Ratcliffe Ends 21-Day Hunger Strike To Free Wife Held In Iran

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of a British-Iranian woman held in Iran, ended his 21-day hunger strike outside the UK Foreign Office and was admitted to hospital.

Ratcliffe went on hunger strike to pressure the government to pursue the release of his wife Nazanin Zagheri-Ratcliffe who was arrested in Tehran when she visited her family in April 2016. She was sentenced to five years imprisonment without a fair trial. After completing her sentence, she was charges with new crimes and refused permission to return to Britain.

Ratcliffe went on a 15-day hunger strike in 2019, which possibly led to the couple’s daughter returning from Iran, where she was staying with grandparents.

The last days of his hunger strike coincided with the visit of Iran’s deputy foreign minister Ali Bagher-Kani to the Foreign Office to discuss Iran’s nuclear talks.

Following the diplomatic meeting, Ratcliffe met British minister for the Middle East James Cleverly on Thursday but came out of the meeting disappointed.

"If I'm honest, quite a depressing meeting," Ratcliffe told reporters after he left the Foreign Office, adding that Cleverly told him the meeting with Bagheri-Kani had been cordial.

Ratcliffe will stay in hospital for medical checks and released.