Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Acknowledged
UK nationals have been let down by the information shared by Ministers— actions which were...
Recommendation
UK nationals have been let down by the information shared by Ministers— actions which were counterproductive and may have contributed to less favourable conditions for an earlier release. Coherence and accuracy are vital not only in fairness to the families involved, but also to send the message to countries that may consider using detainees as leverage, that the UK will not tolerate this form of statecraft involving any of its nationals. Additionally, care should be taken to ensure that the British nationality of the detainee be stressed in communications. We recommend that a publicity plan be created with families from the early stages and is adjusted in collaboration with them as the case progresses. (Paragraph 62) Consular support
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.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
42. The Government has been consistently clear that we do not tolerate our nationals being used for diplomatic leverage. It was always within Iran’s gift to end the ordeal of those it held, and still holds. When it is in their best interests to do so, we do make clear the British nationality of detainees both in private and—when we have consent from the detainee or their family to release information about them—in public and in Parliament. There may be cases where we judge it is not in a detainee’s best interests for their British nationality to be publicised or attention drawn to it, for example if this might increase their value in the eyes of the detaining State. We will not do so if a detainee or their family ask us not to make a detainee’s British nationality public.
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