Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 59
The Government and its allies have missed key opportunities to publicly demonstrate the importance placed...
Conclusion
The Government and its allies have missed key opportunities to publicly demonstrate the importance placed on the release of UK nationals, both privately and in public. The decision of Richard Ratcliffe to begin a hunger strike is perhaps the starkest example of this failure. The onus should be on FCDO officials and ministers to demonstrate to the detaining state and to the families of state hostages that they 50 Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy consider the detention of those concerned as both unjust and an issue that is considered distinct from other diplomatic priorities. Families should never be left to feel that the only way the Government will prioritise their case is by acting against advice and, in some cases, their better judgement, by going to the media and to Parliament.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Government accepts the fundamental importance of early identification and escalation of complex detentions, and states that is why the FCDO has adopted the task force approach recommended in the Macgregor review to harness the widest possible range of knowledge, experience, and expertise.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
59
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
40. The Iranian Government has put detained British nationals and their loved ones through unimaginably difficult ordeals. Iran was in no doubt that its unfair detention of British nationals was a priority for this government and a major block to achieving a better bilateral relationship. Our commitment to securing their release was demonstrated to their families by regular meetings with consular officials, frequent Ministerial contact with those families, led by the Foreign Secretary and including the Prime Minister, and countless public statements from Ministers condemning Iran’s actions and calling for release. 12 Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy: Government Response
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