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THE husband of jailed Brit Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has today called on Boris Johnson to "be her hero" to help free her in Iran.

Richard Ratcliffe said the Foreign Secretary needed to be the "voice of Britain towards the Iranian government" which oversaw her five-year sentence in 2016.

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of jailed mum Nazanin, called on Boris Johnson to step up and help free his wife
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Richard Ratcliffe, husband of jailed mum Nazanin, called on Boris Johnson to step up and help free his wife
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and their tot Gabriella. Iran broadcast so-called evidence which it claimed could add 16 years to her prison sentence
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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and their tot Gabriella. Iran broadcast so-called evidence which it claimed could add 16 years to her prison sentenceCredit: Facebook
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met with Richard Ratcliffe to discuss efforts to free his wife
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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met with Richard Ratcliffe to discuss efforts to free his wifeCredit: AP:Associated Press

And he said he was "pleased that other people criticised" Boris after his blunder in parliament that threatened to add on another 16 years to her imprisonment.

Nazanin, 38, was arrested in Iran in April last year while visiting her family and jailed for training journalists – charges she strongly denies.

She was said to be “suicidal” after Mr Johnson incorrectly told MPs she had been in the country "teaching journalism". The Foreign Secretary later issued a firm correction and apologised.

Speaking on ITV's Loose Women on Friday, husband Richard said: "Boris Johnson needs to be Nazanin's hero, in simple terms.

Nazanin has been held in Iran for more than a year and a half
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Nazanin has been held in Iran for more than a year and a halfCredit: Reuters
Richard Ratcliffe with actor Emma Thompson at a rally for Nazanin on Saturday
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Richard Ratcliffe with actor Emma Thompson at a rally for Nazanin on Saturday

"I was pleased that other people criticised him, pleased other people were pressuring him, but at the same time we met behind closed doors.

"It's important he is the voice of Britain towards to Iranian government.

"He needs to stand up and do what he can to bring her home."

Nazanin, who is suffering from PTSD in a women's political prison, is "up and down", Richard said.

He added: "Sometimes she's OK, sometime's she's awful — there's just tears."

Iranian state TV showed a pay cheque for Nazanin from the BBC
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Iranian state TV showed a pay cheque for Nazanin from the BBCCredit: Iribinews
The Iranian special report also broadcast an email about a programme to train journalists in Iran
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The Iranian special report also broadcast an email about a programme to train journalists in IranCredit: Iribinews

She gets a visit two times a week from daughter Gabriella, three, who has stayed in Iran with relatives while her mum is in jail.

On Saturday Iranian state TV aired what it claimed was fresh evidence against Nazanin — including a pay slip from the BBC and an email about young journalists in the country.

Mr Ratcliffe said on Sunday the propaganda programme was "trying to justify the new charges";.

Iran is believed to be holding out on Nazanin's release over an apparent outstanding bill of £400million for Chieftain tanks that were never delivered because of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

But a spokesman for Theresa May said: "We are clear we don’t see any link between these two issues".

Boris Johnson pledges to do all he can to get jailed-Brit mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe out of Iran jail

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