Bahram Ghasemi reacted to the news circulating in some British newspapers and the internet about the intention of UK’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to pay off several-hundred-million-pound worth of debt to Iran in exchange for the release of British-Iranian journalist convict, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, saying the news are “completely false and baseless.”
Ghasemi maintained that there is a long-standing open case between Tehran and London related to some purchases from UK which had never been delivered to Iran after the Islamic Revolution.
He said the issue is being pursued by relevant authorities, voicing hope that the continued talks would ultimately lead to the settlement of the case and Iran would be able to receive its rightful debts.
Meanwhile, London seeks the release of a dual-national Iranian citizen that has been convicted on security charges a long time ago and is currently serving her time in prison, said Ghasemi, noting that Zaghari’s case rests with the judiciary and it’s following its own special form and procedure.
MNA/4467305