LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been accused of 鈥渄ismal failure鈥� in standing up to Tehran and securing the release of a dual national detained in Iran since 2016.

Tehran has sentenced Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to another year in prison and a year-long travel ban on new charges of 鈥渟preading propaganda鈥� against the regime. Her re-imprisonment has been condemned by the British government.

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, the representative in the family鈥檚 constituency, said Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a 鈥渧ictim of torture鈥� at the hands of the Iranian state.

鈥淎t the heart of this case is the prime minister鈥檚 dismal failure to release my constituent,鈥� Siddiq added. 鈥淭he prime minister did not even arrange for UK officials to attend Nazanin鈥檚 recent court hearing, which might have ensured she got a free and fair trial.鈥� 

Middle East and North Africa Minister James Cleverly said Siddiq鈥檚 anger is 鈥渕isdirected鈥� as Iran is to blame for holding innocent people in detention.

鈥淥ur priority has always been her full release and for her to return to the UK. The UK does not and will never accept our dual nationals being used as diplomatic leverage, and we recognize her treatment has been completely unacceptable,鈥� Cleverly said.

鈥淚t is totally inhumane and unjustified, and we call upon Iran to allow Zaghari-Ratcliffe to return home to the UK and release from detention all British dual nationals that are being held,鈥� he added.

鈥淭his government remains committed to doing all that we can to secure Zaghari-Ratcliffe鈥檚 return home to the UK so that she can be reunited with her daughter Gabriella and her husband Richard.鈥�

Husband Richard Ratcliffe said their daughter had not been told that her mother is being sent back to prison.

He added that he does not want Gabriella, 6, to 鈥渓ive too closely to the ups and downs鈥� of the legal case as it 鈥渉as been in the shadow for all the time she鈥檚 been growing up.鈥�

He said: 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 sat down and explained to her that we think mummy could be in prison for another year. We felt it was better to wait until that actually happens before stressing that.鈥�

Cleverly rebuked Tehran鈥檚 behavior as 鈥渋ndefensible,鈥� saying it is 鈥渦nacceptable that Iran has chosen to continue this wholly arbitrary court case against Zaghari-Ratcliffe.鈥�

He added: 鈥淭he Iranian government has deliberately put her through a cruel and inhumane ordeal. We continue to call on Iran in the strongest possible terms to end her suffering and allow her to return home.鈥�