Boris Johnson needs to go to Iran and then step down

[DB22]

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iran-tv-boris-johnson-nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-confession-prison-sentence-plot-a8045386.html%3famp#ampshare=www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iran-tv-boris-johnson-nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-confession-prison-sentence-plot-a8045386.html

How can that bumbling baffoon still be in a job? How does he not have the guts to fully apologise, instead of that well rehearsed speech that avoided the crucial word sorry, and more to the point why is he not in Iran trying to speak directly to the Iranian government?

Those saying 'well he couldn't say for a FACT she was there on holiday' are spectacularly missing the point.

He wasn't replying to a question. He wasn't asked why she was there. He brought it up, and got it completely wrong. He didn't need to say ANYTHING at all, if he genuinely didn't feel he couldn't say with certainty that she was on holiday (despite all evidence to the contrary).

This is not just a throwaway comment, oops, silly me, I got it wrong. He may have just handed Nazanin a death sentence. She has already threatened suicide, been on hunger strike, and is ill. She is in utter despair. Because of Boris and Gove's careless and INACCURATE remarks, she could die in prison and her daughter could be left without a mother, and with a father she hasn't seen in nearly 2 years who now doesn't speak the same language as her.

It's frankly fucking embarrassing for Boris to not have a full grasp and comprehension of this situation, being as he is our foreign bloody secretary, representing our country and government.

There is no doubt from our own government (official statement from TM), the UN, Amnesty International etc that she is telling the truth. Why some people on this thread think there must be more to it, on the say so of the Iranian fucking Revolutionary Guard, who didn't even tell Nazanin what she was being charged with, is beyond me. I know who I would choose to believe out of that bunch.

Johnson and Gove can't possibly know without a shadow of doubt what the woman's reasons for the visit were.

You actually think it was acceptable to give the wrong reason for her visit.
Wow.

"It is ridiculous to blame British MPs for an Iranian woman being imprisoned in her own country."

So this is it now? If you're a British citizen who has dual nationality with another country, you can expect the Foreign Office to throw you under the bus?

How reassuring.

Clearly state her innocence?? We have no jurisdiction in Iran. It is not our place to decide whether an Iranian national tried & charged in Iran, is innocent or not! Just as the Iranian government have no say over our jurisdiction and our definition of what is considered illegal or not...It may not be a crime to partake in a demonstration or be part of some anti government lobby over here...but it is over there.

N is a British citizen as well as an Iranian citizen. She is a dual national and it's probable that her British citizenship is exactly what makes her so valuable as a bargaining chip. Her daughter is not an Iranian citizen at all. She only has British citizenship.

Of course Boris and Gove are not responsible for N's arrest but Boris is certainly guilty of doing nothing to help two British citizens in difficulty and indeed through his carelessness actually making things worse.

Mumto2two

She is also a British citizen. Do we not have a duty to her? Regardless of whether Iran give credence to her dual nationality, we in this country DO recognise dual nationality, we issued her a British citizenship, we owe it to her to help her.

Her daughter is British, she was travelling on a British passport, nothing has been done to help her. Do you think we should be doing something in that case?

Once again, she had not taken part in a demonstration, or been part of an anti government lobby. She was on holiday seeing her family. Can you provide a single credible news source (i.e. not Iranian) which suggests otherwise? Even one?

Boris can get it wrong time and time again yet people will still call him clever and defend him.

Yes Floisme...I also agree! In saying that there was not a lot any diplomat could do...it was indeed the wrong thing to say anything at all.
It's just hard to acknowledge people's points sometimes, particularly when you're caught in the Boris bashing crossfire

Iran have reason to believe she was a threat to their regime

Where's your evidence for this?

If you don't think Boris and Gove can take the word of AI and the UN that she wasn't, then you cannot also take the word of a regime where the rule of law and due process do not apply. If the UN aren't good enough for us to believe, neither are the Iranian regime. You have no idea whether they actually think that or whether they have other motives for their actions.

It may not be a crime to partake in a demonstration or be part of some anti government lobby over here...but it is over there.

Which has what to do with Naznin's case? I mean, why even mention demonstrations?

That's ok Mum I have tried to avoid mentioning Johnson by name in all my posts. It's the fact that a British Foreign Secretary (irrespective of government) has worsened this woman's plight that I think we should be focusing on. What's the point of a Foreign Secretary if this is how they do their job?

Indeed floisme. It's such an incredibly obvious and indisputable point that one is almost suspicious of the motives of anyone disagreeing with it.

Expresidents...She may have dual citizenship, but unfortunately Iran does not recognise that, so will not permit consular protection or interference in any form. That is their law, their jurisdiction.
With regards to the accusations that have been levied against her, I nor anyone, can refute that with absolute certainty. What I do think however, is that Iran should attempt to clarify her situation, or at least show some transparency with regards to her case and her supposed fair trial. Until we have that, it is all supposition.

Sorry I don't understand Onion. Is it not that Iran have reason to believe she was a threat to their regime? Is that not why she has been detained? Or at least what has been reported widely in our general press.
Of course I don't have any evidence to support this or contradict it. Hopefully for this lady's sake, somebody out there does!

But we DO recognise it, so we should be doing what we can. Consular protection aside, the foreign secretary doesn't have a clue about the case. He has refused to meet with the husband to discuss it. There are things they could be doing to put pressure on Iran, and aren't.

WE believe that she is a British citizen. Whether or not Iran recognise it, we should be behaving as though she matters to this country, and sending a clear message to Iran that they cannot falsely imprison our citizens without any repercussions.

Homa Hoodfar (dual national of Iran/Canada) was also arrested in 2016 in Iran. She has been released and allowed home to Canada. This is from a news article following her release:

"Canadians are relieved that Dr. Hoodfar has been released from jail and will soon be reunited with her family, friends and colleagues," Trudeau said in a statement.

"In the absence of diplomatic representation of its own in Iran, Canada worked closely with others who were instrumental in helping secure Dr. Hoodfar's release — most notably Oman, Italy and Switzerland."

Iranian authorities were first to confirm that Hoodfar had been released.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said his meeting with his Iranian counterpart last week in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, proved to Iran that Canada "was very serious" about the release of Homa Hoodfar.

Dion, who is now in Colombia, told CBC News that Canada did not make concessions to Iran for her release.

"That's not the way it works," he said. "We negotiate for the sake of Canadians, not to please another country," he said.

Can you see the difference?

What about her daughter? What do you think we should be doing there?

Iran have said they think she was engaged in some kind of espionage mumto2two. However, Iran isn't a country where the rule of law prevails and the Iranian regime make things up, not to put too fine a point on it. There are people in prison there who the regime knows full well have done fuck all.

Basically, just because the Iranian government say something, don't assume it's true. I mean, that's true of most governments in many ways, but what I'm trying to say is they knowingly detain and mistreat people for reasons other than suspicion of any wrongdoing.

Is it not that Iran have reason to believe she was a threat to their regime? Is that not why she has been detained? Or at least what has been reported widely in our general press.

They do not have reason to believe it. They have just said they believe it. There is no evidence.

That's why they have seized on Boris's remarks. They're saying 'aha! This proves our suspicions. She was here inciting a coup.'

They have not a shred of evidence that they have ever released. They didn't even tell her what the charges against her were.

has boris ever token 20,000 from iranian tv (unlike corbyn)

do you think he'd tell us if he did?

has boris ever token 20,000 from iranian tv (unlike corbyn)

For me this has nothing to do with Boris as a person, or a Tory, or whatever. He's the foreign secretary and should be helping not making matters worse. I would feel exactly the same if it were Corbyn or any member of the Labour Party.

Are you suggesting Boris is doing this because Iranian telly paid him runners?

An open letter from N's husband to the Foreign Secretary. Time for him to do the right thing.

www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/dear-boris-it-s-time-for-us-to-free-my-wife-nazanin-together-a3689466.html

no im suggesting corbyn has been paid 20,000 pounds by iranian tv

Maybe you should start your own thread about it then? Otherwise it kind of looks like you're trying to derail a discussion about the catastrophic incompetence of the Foreign Secretary.

Quite runners, Boris is sufficiently wadded that 20k is unlikely to touch the sides. Would have to be more, to make it worth his while. Is that, perhaps, what you meant?