A British mother jailed in Iran has been taken back to court and told by a judge to expect to be reconvicted and resentenced on a “resurrected” charge of “spreading propaganda against the regime”, her supporters have revealed.

It was claimed that when shown the “evidence” against her on Saturday, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe realised it was the same material that had been used to convict her in the first place in 2016, for which she has been serving a prison sentence ever since.

Her husband Richard Ratcliffe, who has campaigned for his wife’s release since she was arrested while trying to return home from a holiday with her daughter, said: “The judge briefly showed her the file against her.

“While she was not allowed to read it in detail, from that quick view she understood she was being prosecuted again with the same material that had been exaggerated and used to justify her first trial.

“The Judge told Nazanin to expect that likely there will be another conviction and sentence against her.”

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe does not appear to have been represented by a lawyer during the court appearance.

Calling for action from foreign secretary Boris Johnson, Mr Ratcliffe told The Independent: “Enough is enough.

“We have previously made the point to the British Government that we think it is a profoundly unjust ‘justice system’, and we have previously asked them to criticise that system.

“I think it would be helpful for the Government to say something.

“Nazanin has asked for the British embassy to send a demarche, a letter of protest, which they have never done, throughout all her treatment.

“My call to the foreign secretary would be for him to sort it.

“He gave very sincere promises, but has not yet managed to carry them through. There is a responsibility of the government, there is a responsibility of the foreign secretary, to protect British citizens.”

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. Free Nazanin Campaign/AP Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella. Nazanin is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's government. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures June 2016 Richard Ratcliffe's daughter Gabriella had her British passport confiscated and was stranded in Iran with her grandparents after her mother Nazanin was jailed. He left left a giant birthday card on the doorstep of the Iranian embassy in central London to mark her second birthday in June 2016. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin has spent some of her prison sentence in solitary confinement. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella. Family Handout Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures July 2016 Richard Ratcliffe delivering a letter of petition with his mother Barbara Ratcliffe and MP Tulip Siddiq, to 10, Downing Street on the 100th day of her detention, on July 12, 2016. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Supporters of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe held a vigil outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to mark her 707 days in captivity. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures January 2017 Richard Ratcliffe holds a '#Free Nazanin' sign and candle during a vigil for for wife on January 16, 2017. The vigil, being held outside the Iranian Embassy in London marks one year since the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and other US-Iranian dual-nationals were released from prison in Iran. Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin with her daughter Gabriella before they were detained by Iranian authorities. Change.org Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures September 2017 Gabriella, who is three-years-old in this picture, has now spent two years away from her mother. Richard Ratcliffe Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures November 2017 Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets with Richard Ratcliffe over Nazanin's case. They meet just days after Johnson told a parliamentary committee that she was in Iran "training journalists". WPA Pool/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures November 2017 Actor Emma Thompson braved pneumonia to support Richard Ratcliffe in leading demonstrators before a march in support of Nazanin in November. Reuters Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures November 2017 Richard Ratcliffe after the march said: 'It is profoundly moving to see so many people here.' REUTERS Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures November 2017 A picture of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe shown on Iranian state TV as part of a report that made fresh allegations against her. They said she had been recruiting for banned broadcast services, as well as 'opposition cyber teams'. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures December 2017 Iranian president Hassan Rouhani greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran. Johnson visited Tehran to discuss the fate of detained Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. EPA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures December 2017 Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe said he believed there was "still a chance" she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together. Unfortunately that didn't happen. PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures February 2018 Richard Ratcliffe delivers a petition and a letter addressed to the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to demand her release, at the Iranian Embassy in London on February 21, 2018. He also left support letters for his spouse in the country's embassy, amid a visit by a deputy foreign minister. AFP/Getty Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures August 2018 Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt meeting Richard Ratcliffe. Hunt has pledged to do everything possible to secure the release of a charity worker jailed in Iran Jeremy Hunt/PA Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – in pictures August 2018 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugs her daughter Gabriella, in Iran after she was allowed to leave the Iranian prison, she is being held in, for three days. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested during a holiday with her toddler daughter in April 2016. Iranian authorities accuse her of plotting against the government. Her family denies this, saying says she was in Iran to visit family. PA

Mr Ratcliffe, a North London accountant, added: “For Nazanin to face being convicted a second time for something we didn’t think was a crime the first time round is bewildering. It’s quite a muddle, isn’t it?”

Mr Ratcliffe said that during the hearing, Revolutionary Court Judge Salavati had been, “oddly, quite nice”.

But he added that his wife’s lawyer had been turned away when he turned up at court, and that during the hearing the judge had told her: “This morning someone called and said he is your lawyer. But I do not accept him for security cases. He has not been approved.”

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was allowed to talk after the hearing to Rob Macaire, the newly appointed British ambassador in Iran, and she asked him to issue a diplomatic letter of protest.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case was thrown into the media spotlight six months ago when a gaffe by Boris Johnson appeared to have significantly worsened her plight.

The foreign secretary was widely condemned in November when he told a committee of MPs that the mother-of-one had been teaching journalists in Iran.

In fact, the charity worker has never taught journalists in her life and is not even a trained journalist. She had gone to Tehran on holiday, hoping to visit her parents and other family members with her 21-month-old daughter Gabriella.

But Iranian state media portrayed Mr Johnson’s words as an accidental confession that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a spy.

The foreign secretary eventually apologised and promised to “leave absolutely no stone unturned” in his efforts to secure her release.

Mr Ratcliffe said at the time that his wife was “on the verge of a nervous breakdown” and had expressed anger at Mr Johnson over the “shambles” her case had become.

Mr Ratcliffe has also said he suspects his wife remains in jail because Britain and Iran insist on haggling over the precise interest rate to be paid by the UK to settle a £450m debt from a 1970s arms deal.

Britain had taken upfront payment to supply Chieftain tanks to the Shah of Iran, but pocketed the money and refused to deliver the weapons after the Iranian ruler was deposed in the 1979 revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power.