PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Anoosheh Ashoori (22 April 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consular assistance has been provided to support British national, Anoosheh Ashoori, who has been detained in Iran since 2017; and whether he plans to grant Anoosheh Ashoori diplomatic protection to support his urgent return to the UK.

Asked by:
Marsha De Cordova (Labour)

We remain committed to securing the immediate and permanent release of arbitrarily detained dual British nationals in Iran so that they can return to the UK and be reunited with their families. Our Embassy in Tehran continues to request consular access to Mr Ashoori and we have been supporting his family since being made aware of his detention. The Foreign Secretary regularly raises the UK's serious concerns about Iran's practice of detaining foreign and dual nationals directly with Foreign Minister Zarif, most recently on 3 April, and the Prime Minister has raised the issue with President Rouhani, most recently on 10 March. The ambassador in Tehran consistently raises the dual national detainees with the Iran authorities. We remain in close contact with the family on this matter.

Answered by:
Mr James Cleverly (Conservative)
29 April 2021