Environment secretary under fire for comments following outrage from Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family over Boris Johnson remarks

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Michael Gove has risked inflaming the situation of a British mother imprisoned in Iran by saying that he does not know what she was doing in the country, in contradiction of the government’s official position that she was there on holiday.

The environment secretary’s comments on the plight of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe follow outrage from her family earlier this week after Boris Johnson said she was in Tehran training journalists. The remarks were seized upon by the Iranian state media as a “confession” and are believed to have left her facing an additional five years in prison.

Defending the foreign secretary on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, Gove was asked what he thought Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in Iran when she was arrested.

Gove replied: “I don’t know. One of the things I want to stress is that there is no reason why she should be in prison in Iran as far as I know.”

Told by Marr that Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard, said she had been there on holiday, Gove said: “I take exactly her husband’s assurances in that regard. Her family are the people who should know.”

Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family have already said Johnson’s comments were inaccurate and place her at further risk. Her employers say she had not taken part in the training of journalists.



There will be concerns that Gove’s remarks before he was corrected by Marr will be interpreted as giving weight to the idea that the British government does not believe she was on holiday.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 38-year-old project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, has been in prison since her arrest in Tehran in April last year.

Boris Johnson has been embarrassing Britain for long enough. It’s time for him to go | Jeremy Corbyn Read more

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, wrote in the Observer that Johnson must be sacked immediately for “undermining our country” and “putting our citizens at risk”, saying that it was the mishandling of the “heartbreaking” case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe that persuaded him to call for the foreign secretary’s dismissal.

Johnson is understood to have had a “constructive” conversation with Richard Ratcliffe on Sunday morning by telephone. They agreed to meet within the next two weeks.

Gove deflected questions asking whether Johnson should correct his words for the record. The former education secretary said: “If the Iranian judiciary want to use the words of a democrat in order to justify an unjustifiable decision, then it is our responsibility to call them out.”



When Marr questioned whether Gove had changed his mind following comments made to the BBC last year that Johnson struggles with executive authority and clarity, Gove said: “He is doing a great job as foreign secretary.”

Jon Trickett, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said Gove’s comments were designed to protect a fellow minister but had harmed a British citizen’s chances of being freed.

“Boris Johnson’s cavalier approach to international diplomacy is compounded this morning by Michael Gove claiming he has no idea what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in Iran. It has always been clear: she was on holiday visiting her family.

“It appears Gove is more interested in protecting Johnson’s job than the liberty of a British citizen in jail in Iran. Theresa May must ensure Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe does not pay the price for her ministers’ bungling.”

Following Gove’s comments, the Free Nazanin campaign tweeted: “The UK government has no doubt Nazanin was on holiday in Iran.”

Free Nazanin (@FreeNazanin) Foreign Secretary: The UK government has no doubt that Nazanin was on holiday in Iran #FreeNazanin https://t.co/Wd11AL9mMr

One Conservative backbencher spoke for several contacted by the Guardian on Sunday who said they were angered to see Gove and Johnson working hand in hand again.

“It is all about protecting his new best mate – it is as appalling as it is pathetic,” the MP said.

But other senior Tories backed Gove’s comments. Crispin Blunt, the former chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said: “Why would Michael Gove know what she was doing? Far from dissembling, he was being honest.

“I understand this lady has joint Iranian-British nationality. They have consular rights over her. That makes the exercise of our consular rights and duties towards her even more difficult.”

Pressure has been building on Johnson since he told the foreign affairs select committee that he believed she had been “simply teaching people journalism, as I understand it”.



Sadiq Khan told Marr that Johnson should resign or be sacked following his “long list of gaffes” as foreign secretary. The London mayor raised questions about Johnson’s suitability for the role after renewing calls for an apology and clarification over the minister’s remarks.

Khan, who succeeded Johnson as London mayor, told Marr: “I think it’s important that Boris Johnson clarifies the huge error he made … I’m hoping he clarifies his position, apologises and helps Richard and the family get Nazanin back home in London where she belongs.”

Asked if he agreed with the suggestion by Corbyn that Johnson must resign, Khan replied: “As your [newspaper] panel just said, this is the latest in a long list of gaffes made by our foreign secretary.

“He’s offended the Libyans in relation to what he said about Sirte being the new Dubai, should they get rid of the bodies.

Quick guide Boris Johnson's errors of judgment Show Hide Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Boris Johnson said that the British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, convicted of spying in Iran, was “simply teaching people journalism” – a statement her family and her employer both said was untrue. His comments were subsequently cited as proof that she was engaged in “propaganda against the regime”. 'Dead bodies' After Johnson suggested that the Libyan city of Sirte might become a new Dubai once “the dead bodies” were removed, Downing Street said it was not “an appropriate choice of words”. Myanmar The foreign secretary was accused of “incredible insensitivity” after it emerged he recited part of a colonial-era Rudyard Kipling poem in front of local dignitaries while on an official visit to Myanmar. Whisky sour Johnson apologised after causing a “livid” reaction in a worshipper in a Sikh temple in Bristol by discussing his enthusiasm for ending tariffs on whisky traded between the UK and India. Alcohol is forbidden under some Sikh teachings. Continental drift Boris Johnson referred to Africa as “that country” in his Conservative party conference speech.

Tweet like Trump The foreign secretary suggested he wished he could tweet like Donald Trump, despite intense criticism of the US president’s use of Twitter, on which he has launched personal attacks against his foes.

“He’s offended the Americans saying President Obama is anti-British because he’s part-Kenyan.

“He’s offended the Spanish, offended Sikhs with what he said about whisky tariffs in the gurdwara and stuff.

“I think he’s got to go. I think he’s our foreign secretary whose job is diplomacy and representing the best interests of our country and if Theresa May was a strong prime minister she would have sacked him a long time ago.”

The Brexit secretary, David Davis, asked if Johnson was unsackable, told Sky News’ Sunday with Niall Paterson: “Why would you want to sack him? He’s a good foreign secretary.”