Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Why is she so special?

[Macski]

Did a search on this and have found no posts which surprised me.

The TV keeps referring to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a British Citizen but apparently she is Iranian born and so duel nationality. Many MPs have raised her issue and so have the home office but according to a government website on duel nationality it say that "As a dual national you cannot get diplomatic help from the British government when you are in the other country where you hold citizenship.

For example, if you hold both British and Chinese citizenship you cannot get diplomatic help from the UK when you’re in China. as a British Citizen."

Many British Nationals are held abroad, some in Iran yet neither the government, MPs or news organizations are not making anything close to the effort to release them as they are doing to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Why is she so special?

[oilbethere]

Macski said:

Did a search on this and have found no posts which surprised me.

The TV keeps referring to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a British Citizen but apparently she is Iranian born and so duel nationality. Many MPs have raised her issue and so have the home office but according to a government website on duel nationality it say that "As a dual national you cannot get diplomatic help from the British government when you are in the other country where you hold citizenship.

For example, if you hold both British and Chinese citizenship you cannot get diplomatic help from the UK when you’re in China. as a British Citizen."

Many British Nationals are held abroad, some in Iran yet neither the government, MPs or news organizations are not making anything close to the effort to release them as they are doing to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Why is she so special?

She may well be a spy?

[4x4Tyke]

1) She isn't really, but she holds a British Passport, she was originally detained with others as political posturing by Iranian hard liners. Boris Johnson's incompetent comments put her in spot light and that was used as 'evidence' of her importance and put her into Jail. Iran is now making overtures to Europe following Trump's recent threats/posturing.
2) She is a nominally a British asset, she did work for the BBC World Service, which is partially funded by the Foreign office.
3) She is a full blown SIS/MI6 asset, perhaps even a proper spy.

Take your pick, I'm inclined to the simplest explanation, the first two, I think the third is rather unlikely, because of her World Service employment, unless her cover was hiding in plain sight, which really doesn't stack up.

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Sunday 26th August 02:43

[jimmyjimjim]

I saw the title and though 'Because she's a top scoring choice in scrabble?'.

I was wrong. Still none the wiser as to who she is though, will get on the google.

[BlackLabel]

She was discussed for a few pages on one of the Boris Johnson threads when he got her into more trouble by opening his mouth. Don’t know what the full story is here but glad she’s no longer in an Iranian prison cell.

[Douglas Quaid]

Her husband has done a good job of raising awareness.

[JagLover]

4x4Tyke said:

1) She isn't really, but she holds a British Passport, she was originally detained with others as political posturing by Iranian hard liners. Boris Johnson's incompetent comments put her in spot light and that was used as 'evidence' of her importance and put her into Jail. Iran is now making overtures to Europe following Trump's recent threats/posturing.
2) She is a nominally a British asset, she did work for the BBC World Service, which is partially funded by the Foreign office.
3) She is a full blown SIS/MI6 asset, perhaps even a proper spy.

Take your pick, I'm inclined to the simplest explanation, the first two, I think the third is rather unlikely, because of her World Service employment, unless her cover was hiding in plain sight, which really doesn't stack up.

she was in jail already, had been convicted and had been serving her sentence for months by the time of the select committee hearing. .

Johnson's comments were deliberately misrepresented in order to create a supposed "gaffe". Which answers the OP question. She is important because she was used as a weapon by Johnson's opponents in politics and the media.

[frisbee]

JagLover said:

she was in jail already, had been convicted and had been serving her sentence for months by the time of the select committee hearing. .

Johnson's comments were deliberately misrepresented in order to create a supposed "gaffe". Which answers the OP question. She is important because she was used as a weapon by Johnson's opponents in politics and the media.

How would you interpret "training journalists" then?

[JagLover]

frisbee said:

How would you interpret "training journalists" then?

Exactly what it means.

The media narrative was that he had said "training journalists whilst in Iran" which wasn't the case. She had worked training journalists online.

Prosecutor general of Tehran said:

she was imprisoned for running a BBC Persian online journalism course which was aimed at recruiting and training people to spread propaganda against Iran

and she did indeed work for a charity providing online training to journalists in 2014.

Johnson stated the facts of the case in front of a select committee and this was presented as a massive "gaffe".

Those who only paid a little attention to the case may have even gained the impression she was arrested due to what Johnson had said. Whereas she was already convicted and serving her sentence by this point.

It was notable that virtually none of the media organisations reporting on this choose to include the full transcript of the relevant section of the select committee hearing in their article. Far better to report on what they could pretend Johnson had said rather than what he actually said.

[grumbledoak]

oilbethere said:

She may well be a spy?

That is my assumption, too.

[4x4Tyke]

If this isn't a massively incompetent gaff, then nothing qualifies.

Extract of time line from : https://news.sky.com/story/nazanin-zaghari-ratclif...

5 November 2017 : Nazanin faces extra 16 years in jail
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is summoned to court in Tehran where the Foreign Secretary's comments are used as evidence against her, with prosecutors saying she was engaged in "propaganda against the regime". The new case is opened up a month before she is eligible for early release. She could face an extra 16 years in jail.

1 November 2017 : Johnson's big blunder
Boris Johnson appears at a meeting of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee where he criticises Iran for detaining Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, before saying: "When I look at what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing, she was simply teaching people journalism as I understand it.

"(Neither) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe nor her family has been informed about what crime she has actually committed. And that I find extraordinary, incredible."

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Sunday 26th August 08:55

[JagLover]

4x4Tyke said:

If this isn't a massively incompetent gaff, then nothing qualifies.

Extract of time line from : https://news.sky.com/story/nazanin-zaghari-ratclif...

5 November 2017 : Nazanin faces extra 16 years in jail
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is summoned to court in Tehran where the Foreign Secretary's comments are used as evidence against her, with prosecutors saying she was engaged in "propaganda against the regime". The new case is opened up a month before she is eligible for early release. She could face an extra 16 years in jail.

1 November 2017 : Johnson's big blunder
Boris Johnson appears at a meeting of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee where he criticises Iran for detaining Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, before saying: "When I look at what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing, she was simply teaching people journalism as I understand it.

"(Neither) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe nor her family has been informed about what crime she has actually committed. And that I find extraordinary, incredible."

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Sunday 26th August 08:55

Well you now seem clear that she wasn't arrested as a result

This is what Boris actually said in full context

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGPSzaHk7L4

"When I look at what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing, she was simply teaching people journalism as I understand it.". Yes that is entirely correct she
had been teaching journalism online in 2014 and when she next visited Iran she was arrested as a result and convicted.

Boris was pointing out that this is what she had been convicted of and that it was unacceptable. The media then decided he had said she had been training journalists while in Iran when arrested and he never said that.

What we have here is a factual statement spun to be a gaff.

[rxe]

I don’t really see what the gaffe is. He was simply describing what she did as her job, which appears to be a fact.

While I have every sympathy for her, if you are involved in something that has pissed off a regime with a track record in random decisions and an absolute disregard for the rule of law, would you not have a bit of a think before getting on a ‘plane to go there?

[Murph7355]

rxe said:

I don’t really see what the gaffe is. He was simply describing what she did as her job, which appears to be a fact.

While I have every sympathy for her, if you are involved in something that has pissed off a regime with a track record in random decisions and an absolute disregard for the rule of law, would you not have a bit of a think before getting on a ‘plane to go there?

Exactly.

Fuss over nothing, but then the media knew this. It gets under the skin of those at either extreme of views on the person noted. For the vast majority it has no impact.

Your latter point is very relevant.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

JagLover said:

frisbee said:

How would you interpret "training journalists" then?

Exactly what it means.

The media narrative was that he had said "training journalists whilst in Iran" which wasn't the case. She had worked training journalists online.

Prosecutor general of Tehran said:

she was imprisoned for running a BBC Persian online journalism course which was aimed at recruiting and training people to spread propaganda against Iran

and she did indeed work for a charity providing online training to journalists in 2014.

Johnson stated the facts of the case in front of a select committee and this was presented as a massive "gaffe".

Those who only paid a little attention to the case may have even gained the impression she was arrested due to what Johnson had said. Whereas she was already convicted and serving her sentence by this point.

It was notable that virtually none of the media organisations reporting on this choose to include the full transcript of the relevant section of the select committee hearing in their article. Far better to report on what they could pretend Johnson had said rather than what he actually said.

spot on.

[GliderRider]

She is/was a journalist, and other journalists will naturally rally round to support one of their own.

Given that journalists have better access to the media than anyone else and make the decision on what gets top billing in the news, they are going to keep her case at the forefront as long as they can.

Edited by GliderRider on Sunday 26th August 22:18

[Eric Mc]

In countries like Iran, being a journalist is tantamount to being a spy.

[The Mad Monk]

grumbledoak said:

oilbethere said:

She may well be a spy?

That is my assumption, too.

And/or a trainer of spies?

I don't understand why the British media are interested in an Iranian woman in prison in Iran?

[Eric Mc]

The Mad Monk said:

And/or a trainer of spies?

I don't understand why the British media are interested in an Iranian woman in prison in Iran?

She's British too - married to a British man with British children.

Is that not enough for the British authorities to try and assist her and her husband?

Are you suggesting that people with dual nationalities are not entitled from support and assistance from the British authorities?

[The Mad Monk]

Eric Mc said:

The Mad Monk said:

And/or a trainer of spies?

I don't understand why the British media are interested in an Iranian woman in prison in Iran?

She's British too - married to a British man with British children.

She isn't. She has British citizenship. Not the same thing at all.

If I married a French woman, would I become French? Of course not.