Daughter of British man detained in Ir slams UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's inaction

The daughter of a British man detained in Iran has condemned the UK foreign office for not taking adequate measures to secure his release.

In a video released on Twitter, Elika Ashoori denounced UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for not publicising 
"I want to express my deep disappointment at the UK foreign office for yet again failing to raise my dad's case publicly, as seen on Dominic Raab's interview with Andrew Marr this morning [Sunday]," she said in a video released on Twitter. 

Anoosheh Ashoori was arrested in 2017 by Iranian Military Intelligence for "cooperating with a hostile state" as he visited his elderly mother in Iran. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after reportedly being subjected to torture and forced to sign a confession

Twitter Post

Raab appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday to discuss the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British dual national who is also being held in Iran.

He said that Iran's treatment of the British-Iranian women "amounts to torture", the strongest words used by the UK to describe her case.

While the foreign secretary made reference to "all dual nationals" he failed to mention Ashoori by name, a point of contention for his family.

"This [Raab's interview] comes three days after we formally requested that my dad's name to be mentioned in all interviews and briefings, and for them to refrain from using the term 'other dual nationals'," said Elika Ashoori.

Continuing her emotional plea, Ashoori highlighted her father's declining health and said she fears he is not receiving proper treatment.

"My dad, Anoosheh Ashoori, is 67 years old. He is showing all signs of Covid in Evin Prison. He has not been granted medical furlough. He has no access to medical care or basic hygiene," she said.

"How much closer to death does he have to get for the British government or the media, to give his life value?"

The UK Foreign Office did not respond to The New Arab’s request for comment.

Over the weekend, reports emerged that a deal between Tehran and London could be within reach, which might secure the release of British nationals held in Iran.

It was not clear whether the rumoured deal was for Zaghari-Ratcliffe alone or all dual-nationals.

In his interview, Raab pushed back against the rumours.

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"My instinct is that it is actually a sign we are in the middle of negotiations rather than at the end of them… But we will keep our fingers crossed - for ourselves, and all the other families caught up in this," he told the BBC.

Closing her message, Elika Ashoori said that if her father's freedom cannot be secured, then it will be a sign of the British government's failure. 

"Let this message be proof, that if a deal was made and my dad was not released amongst other dual nationals, that it wasn't for lack of trying on our behalf but through sheer neglect and lack of interest or care for the lives of all dual nationals by the UK government," she said.

While the UK government has not responded to Elika's pleas for help, she did receive words of support from Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian women who, like Ashoori, was held in Iran. 

"Sending you so much love darling @lilika49," she tweeted.

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