Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who campaigned tirelessly for her release from Iranian prison has been advising the family of detained British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman
Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, spent years working to secure his wife’s release – and now he is helping another family who find themselves in the same terrifying ordeal.
Richard told the Mirror he has advised the family of British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman – who have been detained in Iran for over six months – on their campaign to secure their parents’ release.
The four children of Lindsay and Craig launched their campaign after months of staying silent, bereft at the loss of their “generous and fun” parents, with son Kieran likening the experience to the Mirror to “falling down a pit and you can’t get up.”
The family feels “helpless” in the face of their parents’ arrest in early January by Iranian authorities, who have accused the couple of espionage, something their children categorically deny.
Lindsay and Craig had gone on a massive adventure when they were arrested. The pair were travelling on motorbikes across the world from Spain to Australia, undertaking a project during which they hoped to learn about what makes a good life and community, but after a few days in Iran, they stopped answering their phones and didn’t check into their hotel.
Richard, who spent years campaigning for the release of his wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratfcliffe, from Iranian prison, after she was arrested on trumped-up charges in 2016, accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Nazanin became a diplomatic pawn during the time she was imprisoned, before eventually being released in 2022 – in a large part due to Richard’s commitment to securing her freedom, and keeping her story in the public eye.
The campaigner explained to the Mirror that when advising the Foreman family about how to move forward that “there was no roadmap” to follow, and that it was “depressing” to see how little had changed in the government’s approach since Nazanin was held hostage.
“The main thing I told them when we first met was that they needed to get it confirmed where [Craig and Lindsay] were, and that they were still alive. I was really shocked that the government had lost track of them in the middle of the Iran-Israel war, and had just closed the Embassy and not updated the family.
“When Evin prison got bombed, the only thing that mattered was proof of life. Not a vague assurance from the Iranian authorities, but a phone call to the family where they confirmed where they were, and a visit from an independent doctor to confirm they are ok.
“It is quite astonishing that after six months the government still has not secured that,” Richard said.
The embassy in Tehran has since reopened, and Minister for the Middle East and North Africa – Hamish Falconer – has said, “We will continue to play our full role to ensure the safety of British nationals in Iran.”
Richard told the Mirror that he also advised the family that they should be prepared for their goal and the government’s agenda to deviate. “I told them that there is no road map – and what works for them will be their own path. But they should remember that the government’s interests were different from the family’s, and that it would continually find ways to kettle the campaign, and stop their suffering getting in the way of other agendas.
“They would get sympathy, but they would have to push hard for any action.”
Richard added, “I found it really alarming that in the six months since Craig and Lindsay were taken hostage, the family had not met the Foreign Secretary or any Minister, or even the Ambassador – and that only changed when they decided to go public.
“It had been the same in Nazanin’s case. So it was depressing to see none of the lessons from our had been learned, despite the Foreign Secretary’s promises in the elections to transform consular protections.”
Richard shared with the Mirror what helped his family during their ordeal, which saw Nazanin imprisoned when her daughter Gabriella was only a baby, cruelly separating mother and daughter for many of the child’s formative years – her daughter was seven years old when they were finally reunited.
“The main thing that kept us going across the years was knowing we were not alone, finding all these people following our story and caring.
“I always felt it was not our campaigning that got Nazanin home, it was all the people who listened and cared. That was what moved the politicians. Also it is such an isolating and terrifying experience at the beginning. It is like the whole family goes into solitary confinement.
“So talking to other families in the same shoes helped me understand our own story better – to realise Iran’s games weren’t personal, and to better spot the UK’s playbook for stalling.
“That made it gradually easier to navigate, to know the game we were a chess piece in. It takes us all time to accept.”
The Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iran, and a spokesperson said to the Mirror in response to Richard’s claims, “We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran. We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.
“We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”
Lindsay and Craig’s family hope that people will join their campaign to secure the couple’s release, by writing to their MP.
Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/freelindsayandcraig or to learn more, visit www.freelindsayandcraig.com