Husband of mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe at centre of Boris gaffe tells how heartbroken daughter Gabriella ‘still kisses her photo every day’ as she’s jailed in Iran
Heartbroken Richard Zaghari-Ratclif still doesn't know how to explain to three-year-old tot Gabriella that 'mummy won't be home for Christmas'
THE husband of jailed Brit Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff has told how his tiny daughter still kisses her photo every night before bed.
Tormented Richard Ratcliffe has not seen Nazanin since she was locked up on spurious propaganda charges in April 2016 - and thanks to blundering Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, her absence could be extended by several more years.
The regime in Teheran insisted Mr Johnson’s comments were "proof” she had been conspiring against Iran when she was arrested 18 months ago - and the blunder is expected to hit Gabriella particularity hard.
Richard said of the heartbroken tot: “She knows that all the other children at nursery have a normal mummy and daddy, and she hasn’t. She got asked by a mum in a park, ‘Where is your mum?’ And Gabriella said, quite matter-of-factly, ‘Oh, she’s in prison.’
“But she expects mummy to be home for Christmas. She will see Nazanin’s picture on a news article on a mobile phone, and will kiss the picture of mummy, and give mummy a cuddle.”
Tiny Gabriella is living with her grandparents in Iran. Richard, 42, told how she gets to see Nazanin twice a week in heavily supervised 45 minute visits.
He said: “Nazanin has told Gabriella, ‘Mummy and you will be going to see daddy in London for Christmas.’
“But then Gabriella will ask, ‘Is it Christmas today? Is it Christmas tomorrow?’ It’s very difficult.”
The Foreign Secretary has pledged to fly out to try to secure 38 year-old Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release in a bid to make amends for his gaffe that could see her locked up for five extra years.
Mr Ratcliffe told The Sun on Tuesday: “I will ask Boris if I can come with him when he visits Teheran, and travel under his protection.
“Not seeing Nazanin and my daughter in all this time has been really tough. The Iranians have kept stalling.
“We decided it was better to let Gabriella stay out there so she can be close to her mother.”
Mr Ratcliffe also told of his disappointment with Boris for repeatedly turning down his requests for a face to face meeting with him in the past.
But last night, the Foreign office said the senior Tory will meet him and try to help orchestrate a family reunion too.
Boris was forced to apologise to MPs on Tuesday after he mistakenly claimed she was “teaching people journalism” in Iran.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was told by Iranian authorities she could see her sentence doubled, as she has always insisted she was in Iran only to introduce Gabriella to her grandparents.
Speaking in Washington DC last night, Boris said: “I am trying to see Mr Ratcliffe before I go to Iran in the next few weeks”.
The Foreign Secretary was in the US capital for talks to save the Iran nuclear deal.
An FCO spokesman added: “The Foreign Secretary will be meeting with Richard Ratcliffe before travelling to Iran, and will of course discuss this issue with him.
“However any decision on visas is ultimately a matter for the Iranian government.”
Diplomatic sources insisted Boris had not met Mr Ratcliffe in a bid to keep deliberations with Iran over Nazanin’s release low profile.
It emerged that Nazanin has also asked Boris to visit her in jail on his trip next month.
