Boris Johnson slammed in Iran over efforts to free jailed Brit mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Foreign Secretary is panned in country's gagged press for bringing up Nazanin's spying case in landmark meeting with President Hassan Rouhani yesterday
IRAN'S press have sent Boris Johnson packing with a damning verdict on his efforts to free British mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe — saying he left "empty-handed".
The Foreign Secretary met with President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to cap-off a whistle-stop diplomacy drive on behalf of Nazanin, jailed in April on trumped-up spying charges.
This morning her husband Richard said he is hopeful she will be released before Christmas — adding that he has "hope for the home straight".
But Iran's gagged media have roundly criticised Mr Johnson for seeking Nazanin's release and repeated claims that she is a "British agent".
Sharq newspaper said Mr Johnson went home "empty-handed", while Resalat slammed him for bringing up her case in the first place.
State TV and other outlets did not report on Nazanin being mentioned in the discussions, which the Foreign Office described as "forthright".
But Nazanin's family have been lifted by Mr Johnson's efforts, with husband Richard saying she is "relieved" his intervention appeared to postpone a further court appearance.
She was facing more jail time after alleged evidence emerged that she was training journalists in Iran — a crime treated as espionage in the restrictive country.
She was said to be “suicidal” after Mr Johnson mistakenly told MPs last month that he believed Nazanin was in Iran "teaching journalism". He later retracted this statement and apologised.
Nazanin, 39, was arrested while visiting her family along with her daughter Gabriella, three, who has stayed in Iran with relatives.
Speaking on GMB this morning, Richard said: "We were expecting her to be in court yesterday facing new charges, facing goodness knows what.
"So suddenly for that to disappear away — now it's not been fully cancelled it's been postponed — but it's a great thing that it's happened."
He praised the Foreign Secretary's hour-long meeting with Iran's leadership, which was described as "frank".
Richard said: "The fact that the Foreign Secretary went to Iran and was raising all sorts of issues, some of them to do with Nazinin, just trying to improve the relationship has to be a good thing.
"She was really relieved yesterday because she was fearing being in court, fearing seeing all the interrogators and the judge again, but that didn't happen.
"Yesterday was a very good day in the whole story."
When asked about getting Nazanin released before Christmas, he added: "The Foreign Office have been quite clear, don't get your hopes up too high, there's no guarantees, that's what they said to her parents yesterday.
"But yeah, I'm hoping. Hope for the home straight now."
On Sunday Mr Ratcliffe told The Sun: “I think I am very optimistic.
“There’s been a lot of false turns and setbacks and I know I should not get my hopes up. But the court case not going ahead is a big thing.”
He added: “A month ago I was cursing the Foreign Secretary. But he promised he would do his best for Nazanin and he has been as good as his word.
“He got to Iran and he got there before her court case and that did make a difference.”
Iran is believed to be holding out on Nazanin’s release over an apparent 40-year-old bill of £400million.
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