Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department recognises Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a hostage of Iran as per the terms of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982.

The UK Government recognises that Mrs Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is under arbitrary detention and that treatment has been deplorable, including a lack of due process in proceedings against her. In exercising diplomatic protection in Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case we formally raised this to a State-to-State issue and continue to raise her case at the most senior levels. It is unacceptable for Iran to bring new charges against her and we have repeatedly called on Iran not to return her to prison.