Britain Warns Its Citizens About the Risk of Arrest in Iran

The British Foreign Office has warned its citizens, particularly Iranian-British citizens, that travel to Iran may put them at risk of arrest; this travel advisory has been issued amid ongoing detentions of dual nationals. The British Foreign Office had previously eased its travel warning regarding Iran following the achievement of a nuclear agreement. However, with the continued arrests, Britain has cautioned its citizens that 'any behavior that may not even have a clear explanation could put you at risk, regardless of how harmless and safe you might consider it.' The current warning from the British Foreign Office is still better than the warnings prior to the nuclear agreement, which generally advised citizens to avoid traveling to Iran except in very necessary cases. Nonetheless, this warning comes at a time when Hassan Rouhani's government is trying to improve relations with London. Nazanin Zaghari, a dual Iranian-British citizen, was arrested after Hassan Rouhani took office. The exact reason for Ms. Zaghari's arrest is unclear, but the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Kerman previously issued a statement accusing her of 'participation' in what they termed a 'subversive project.' The British Foreign Office states it is following up on Ms. Zaghari's case, and her British husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has described these accusations as 'ridiculous.' Ms. Zaghari was an employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Reuters reports that her work had no connection to Iran. A month after the Revolutionary Guard's accusations, on July 21, the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor announced the issuance of indictments for some 'important' cases, including those of Nazanin Zaghari, Homa Hoodfar, Siamak Namazi, Nizar Zaka, and seven protesters from the 2009 presidential election. The status of another dual British citizen in Iran, Kamal Faroughi, is also unclear; the British Foreign Office had previously stated it was trying to access him. Mr. Faroughi is a businessman who has not been heard from since 2011. Now, there is speculation that Iran is seeking a 'prisoner exchange' with Britain. The Guardian quotes Richard Ratcliffe as saying there are speculations that Iran, or at least the Revolutionary Guard, is looking for a prisoner exchange: 'There was a clear message in the last meeting of Nazanin's family with her for me... I must do everything to get the British government to agree to the exchange. If they agree, Nazanin's case will not stay in court for long.' Kamran Faroughi, Kamal Faroughi's son, also stated in an interview with the newspaper that there are 'rumors' that Iran is looking for a 'deal' regarding prisoners. It is unclear how many Iranian citizens are in British prisons, and if these statements are correct, it is also unclear who Tehran is seeking to 'exchange' Iranian-British citizens for. Nonetheless, prisoner exchanges have a history in Iran, including between this country and the United States following the nuclear agreement. The British Foreign Office's travel advisory states that arrests without judicial process may occur among crowds or sensitive locations, or if contacting Iranian citizens under surveillance, or while photographing in places other than well-known tourist sites, or any behavior that contradicts the Islamic norms defined by the Iranian government. Iran does not recognize dual nationality. British citizens must obtain visas from the diplomatic missions of this country to enter Iran.