Original subtitles

This programme contains some strong language

SHE HUMS TUNE SOFTLY

MOBILE PHONE VIBRATES

Hello, my love. Hello, you.

I thought I'm better calling you now, in case I missed you later.

Where are you?

I'm at the office. Still? Well, the flat's empty.

I just need to finish a couple of new client things.

Oh, poor Richard.

Yeah. So get yourself home.

What's that?

I'm feeding your daughter and Baba's put the suitcases into the car.

My mother's telling me he's ready to go.

Then you better tell me what kind of ice cream you'd like.

My favourite, of course.

You don't have a favourite, it changes every week.

Then surprise me.

Can't wait to see you, both of you.

Next time, I'm coming with you.

I would love that.

FAMILY MEMBERS CHAT

THEY BID FAREWELL

Are we looking all right for you?

PHOTOGRAPHER: Nice big smile. Hello? Hello. Look over here.

Oh, yes, that's lovely.

THEY CHAT

CHILD TEARFULLY: Mummy!

Mummy. Mummy.

Mummy...

CHILD CRIES

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS REPEATEDLY

AIRPORT ANNOUNCEMENT

SHE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS

INDISTINCT ORDERS

FIST SLAMS LOUDLY

Password!

ELECTRICITY CRACKLES

WIND WHISTLES

SOFT PANTING

DOOR SLAMS

DISTANT SOBBING

WHIMPERS

BIRDSONG

PHONE RINGS

Hello? Oh, Richard, hi. It is Mohammad.

We do not want to worry you,

but there has been a delay at the airport.

They say there is a problem with Nazanin's passport.

She did not make the flight. RICHARD SIGHS

She is still at the airport answering questions.

But they say this is normal. You know what it is like here.

Where's Gabriella? How is she?

Yeah, she's here in the house. She's just sleeping.

My father said he will return to the airport this afternoon.

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

Um, my mother says they promised it's for one night only.

They can only hold her for 24 hours.

Well, I suppose all we can do is wait.

Yeah. Yeah, OK, thanks.

Mummy.

My father is still at the airport, so... no. No news.

Did they tell him to go to the airport? No. No.

So he just went? Yes, he just went.

Should we be worried? Is your father worried?

Richard, my father is always worried.

We can only wait. Yeah. Thank you.

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

CAMERA CLICKS

INDISTINCT NEWS REPORT

PHONE RINGS

Yes, Mohammad? The news I have is that we have spoken with Nazanin.

A phone call. Oh, thank Christ for that.

Thank God. What did she say? What's happening?

She will be answering questions just a few more days.

Two, maybe three more days.

Why? What questions?

What questions can they ask they haven't asked already?

I really don't know.

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

We must let them do their work. That is what my father has said.

How did she sound when you spoke to her?

My mother says she sounded tired.

Where is she, do you know?

Richard, if we knew, my father and mother would be there now.

So we wait. Be patient. Just a few more days.

Can I say hello to Gabriella?

Yeah.

Gabriella...

Would you like Daddy to read you a story? Daddy, Peppa Pig. Peppa Pig.

Shall we do that one? Do you remember it?

"My name is Peppa,"

"and this book is all about my granny."

"She's the best granny in the whole wide world..."

PHONE BUZZES

Hello? Hello, is this Richard Ratcliffe?

Yes. Richard, My name is Monique Villa.

You sent an email to Nazanin's manager here at Thomson Reuters.

Yes. The email has been passed on to me.

I am the CEO of the foundation.

It's, um... It's good of you to call.

Nazanin is still delayed?

Yes. As I said, we've been told there's a problem with her passport.

She's been held for how long now? Uh, a couple of days.

Has to be a mistake of sorts.

No, I don't believe so.

I think you have to consider that this is deliberate.

You will keep me informed?

Yes. I'm here to help, of course.

Speak soon. Thank you.

MAN: Richard? Due diligence on the EC audit, are we ready?

Prepared? Yes. We are... ready.

Everything all right?

Is it time? Yes.

Hey, hey, hey!

DOOR CLOSES

Richard.

Richard?

Richard.

FAINT: Richard.

DISTANT VOICES

PHONE RINGS

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

SOFT PANTING

MAN: Any plans for the weekend, Rich?

No. No, no. Nothing.

We're taking the kids to Disneyland Paris.

Can't wait for the queues.

You ever been to Disneyland?

Richard, have you got a minute? Yeah.

PHONE BUZZES

SIGHS

PHONE BUZZES

NAZANIN: My love.

I tried to call, but no answer.

There were some... complications over my passport.

It will be resolved soon and I will be coming home on Saturday.

PHONE CHIMES

RICHARD: We will be well.

Thanks for letting me know.

Stay strong.

Dad, I'm trying not to get too excited,

but Nazanin has messaged, she says she's coming home Saturday.

Oh, my goodness, Rick, that's wonderful news. Fantastic.

She's coming home on Saturday. Thank heavens.

She actually called me and I missed her. I couldn't believe it.

I'll forward you her text.

EXHALES Feels like a weight has been lifted.

As long as she and Gabriella get back home,

that's the main thing. Yeah.

EXHALES

HUMS SOFTLY

Mummy...

Mummy.

PHONE BUZZES

Mohammad, yes? Sorry, we've heard nothing.

Richard...

...we've been told nothing. Why are they doing this?

What... What did you say to Gabriela?

We thought it is best not to say anything.

This is so difficult.

She'll be wondering where her mummy's gone.

SIGHS

Give her a kiss from me and tell her Daddy loves her.

I will.

And I'll keep you updated. OK, thanks.

Bastards.

Fucking, fucking bastards!

CALL TO PRAYER

DOOR LOCKS

FLIES BUZZ

After Nazanin's text message and her non-release,

her family have been difficult to reach.

It's entirely possible their phones are being monitored,

I really don't know. So now complete silence.

Yes. Saturday came and went. Nothing.

Richard, I think...

...you need to view this as an abduction.

Abduction?

A woman has been taken against her will,

and we have no clue where she is being held.

Why would they abduct her? She was on holiday, visiting family.

Was there anything about her job? Anything that could be misconstrued?

We are a charity, and Nazanin is an administrator.

She works here in London, organising courses for journalists

in different countries where good training isn't available,

but not in Iran. We don't even operate in Iran.

So why she's been taken is an unknown,

but it is unlikely to be anything to do with her passport.

You need to start calling people. The Foreign Office to begin with.

At the very least, they can ask the question, where is she?

LINE RINGS

MAN: Good morning. Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Good morning. Iran desk, please.

Iran? Yes, Iran. And what is this regarding?

I want to report the detention of a British citizen in Tehran,

my wife, and the confiscation of my daughter's passport

by the Iranian authorities. PHONE RINGS

Iran desk.

It was all very British. Polite.

George, he was called, and he... THEY advised me to do nothing.

Do nothing, say nothing. Tell no-one. And wait.

They know best, and they'll be in touch.

Oh, my gosh. Poor Naz.

They'll know who to speak to, I suppose.

Back channels. You'd hope so.

So... we wait.

Short of jumping on a plane, that's all we can do.

I'd like to jump on a plane, but her family are afraid and...

...I'm being told by the Foreign Office that...it would not be wise.

Well, you're staying here tonight. One night, at least.

I'll make up the bed and you can have a nice long bath.

Monique is recommending

that I go and see one or two human rights organisations.

Um... context. Fact finding.

Facts are good.

It might help. Knowledge of what's gone before. We'll see.

Gnocchi? I'd love that, yes.

Good. And to drink, Bianco or rosso? Rosso.

Give me a glass... I'll say it once I have a glass.

No phones on the table. I know.

CAMERA CLICKS

Why? Cos you never do. What? Take photographs.

PHONE RINGS

Oh, fuck.

Hello? Mr Ratcliffe? It's George from the Iran desk.

You'll be pleased to hear we've made contact

with the Iranian Foreign Ministry regarding Nazanin

and they have acknowledged the case, which is good news. Oftentimes,

they will reject a request outright, claiming it as an internal matter.

What have they said? Have they told you where she is?

It doesn't quite work like that.

Whilst lines of communication are open and cordial,

we must proceed carefully and ensure they remain open.

But no answers? Steady as we go, as they say.

Your wife has been detained

for reasons unknown, but most likely political.

And these human rights groups can help facilitate these meetings?

Yes. Yes, they can do that, but nothing more

until you go public with your story, which is...

...a huge decision to make. Yeah.

And against official Foreign Office advice.

Every representative of human rights groups

I've spoken to has said the same thing.

They can present numerous redacted case studies but, at this stage,

what would be best for you is to meet with families

who are, or have been, in a similar situation.

The last time I saw my mother was, um... two years ago.

She went back to Iran to sort some papers to sell her house.

She never came back.

I hope she's still alive. But we don't know.

What I found to be the most difficult to deal with

is not the imprisonment. It's not even the cruelty.

There was cruelty.

Torture.

It is the lies.

The fact they knew it all to be fake.

A game.

CAMERA CLICKS

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

My brother was taken four years ago.

He was very brave because he was openly political.

He was never afraid to speak out, to criticise the regime.

He was kept in solitary for many months.

He was interrogated for many hours and many days. Always blindfolded.

Simple question, George. Simple question - after a month, almost -

do you know where she's being held? Have they told you that much?

We do not have that information. Not yet.

Because if we don't know where she is, we cannot acquire access,

and access is important, not least to know that she's still alive.

I do understand, Richard, and I assure you, we are raising the case.

You keep saying that. But can you say that my wife is alive?

I understand your need for answers and information.

Can I meet with someone in a room face-to-face?

I will make a note of your request. Final question.

Why is it seemingly impossible for a British diplomat in Iran

to locate and visit a British citizen taken against her will?

It's not impossible, just difficult.

Richard, we need your patience, confidence. And in return,

we will give you our... Can I call you tomorrow for an update?

Of course.

And can I emphasise the need for patience? You have. Thank you.

PHONE RINGS

It's been 30 days now since Naz disappeared and...

EXHALES

...more than once it's crossed my mind, um...

...will I ever see her again?

Her family in Iran are being followed

and photographed and...

...they have just... only just been told,

for reasons of national security...

...Nazanin is being held by the Revolutionary Guard.

She's inside Kerman Prison,

which is 1,000km south of her family home in Tehran.

It's, um...

...probable that she would have been kept in isolation.

She would have endured questioning and...

...suffered torture of some kind. Um...

It could continue for some time, some months...

...I'm told. Told by who, Rick?

By the families I've met.

Families who, like us, have been through it.

Some still going through it. And we've never heard of them.

That's right. We've never heard of them.

We don't know their names. We don't know how long

they've been held or how they're being treated.

They're, um... They're invisible.

You all know the Foreign Office Iran desk

has advised me to do nothing.

Say nothing. Add to the silence.

Having now met the families, I'm not sure I can do that.

Nor am I sure that adding to the silence is the right thing to do.

I'm almost certain it isn't.

And from what I can gather, um...

...waiting achieves nothing. And I'm thinking, she's my wife...

She's my wife, for goodness' sake. She's a British citizen.

She's... been kidnapped

and wrongfully imprisoned and separated from her child and...

...it's wrong. Yes.

Shouldn't I be shouting from the rooftops? Yes.

So, is that what I do? Make a noise?

I think you must. If you want us to make a noise, we'll make a noise.

This is a story that people need to know.

The world needs to know.

Get yourself on television. Tell them. Go big.

"My wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe,

"37-year-old charity worker,

"was on holiday visiting her family in Iran.

"She was at the airport, returning to the UK on the 3rd of April

"when she was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard."

"She has been transferred to an unknown location"

"in Kerman Province."

I'd never heard of Kerman until a few days ago.

But that's where she's been taken.

I now intend to go public with whatever information I have,

which is why I'm here in the office of my MP,

asking that my Nazanin's detention be raised in Parliament.

My daughter Gabriella is 22 months old.

She and Nazanin have never spent a day apart.

Never.

She and Nazanin have never spent a day apart.

They'll both be distraught.

Can you imagine? They'll both be distraught.

Take your time.

Right. What's next? Richard, what are the charges?

What is it she's supposed to have done?

There have been no charges. Her family have been told

that the investigation relates to an issue of national security.

Nazanin works for a charity, the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

They are a charity. And what is the position of the Foreign Office?

Have you seen our numbers? The petition?

No. Over 15,000 signatures in one morning.

Rick, people care.

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

REPORTERS: A British man is urging the government

to help secure the release of his wife,

who's been held in solitary confinement in Iran...

...Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who holds dual nationality,

has been held for more than a month. The Iranian government says

she was arrested in connection with national security...

...22-month-old daughter is also being kept in the country

after the authorities confiscated her British passport...

...without her passport,

his daughter is effectively trapped in Iran...

Just over a month ago, a British Iranian woman

was about to get on a plane back to the UK... her parents were told

it was an issue of national security,

but there have been no charges. And her husband, Richard Ratcliffe,

says there is nothing to do with her work or her personal background

that could explain her detention...

How's your day?

Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!

SOBBING

♪ Twinkle, twinkle, little star

♪ How I wonder what you are

♪ Up above the world so high

♪ Like a diamond in the sky. ♪

That is pink and this is blue.

Blue. This is blue.

Is this blue? Are you sure? Yes.

THEY LAUGH

PLAYFUL NOISES

THEY LAUGH

PLAYFUL NOISES

Again. Again? Yes.

PLAYFUL NOISES

♪ Up above the world so high

♪ Like a... ♪

Gabriella?

Mummy.

Richard, she's gone.

Tired. She must be.

She must be so confused.

Yes.

It's sad. Very sad.

Richard, they have asked for us to tell you to stop. End your petition.

Stop speaking to newspapers and television.

Don't you think the only reason the visit took place

was because of the petition? Because of the publicity?

The reason the visit was allowed was to give us that message to stop.

Look, Mohammad, I do understand,

but they cannot be allowed to do as they please.

They also said if you do not stop,

they will hold the family responsible.

Yes, of course they said that.

My father and mother would like you to stop.

Richard, Richard, listen to me.

UNTRANSLATED SPEECH

No need to translate. I got the message.

Your father's not happy.

Nazanin was stronger than we thought she would be.

That is the most important thing.

This is impressive.

Go big and suddenly you're invited inside.

Hopefully Nazanin's family will see it that way.

Morning. Morning, all.

Richard, before we go into our meeting proper,

the minister would like to say hi to you and perhaps one other.

He's waiting. It should be John. Not a problem.

Would you like to take a seat? Thank you.

Mr Ratcliffe. Good morning. Good morning.

Would you care for a cup of tea? No, no. No, no. Not for me.

Right, then, let me, er... let me give you my card up front.

In case conversations with my department

become at all frustrating.

Thank you. Though I can assure you they are doing their utmost.

I myself will be meeting with the Iranian Charge d'Affaires

on the 19th, and I will bring this matter up personally.

That's good to hear. You're meeting with the Deputy Head of Mission?

That's correct. Well, he's a good man.

And he will inform you, quite rightly,

that relations between the UK and Iran are improving. And the fact

that they have acknowledged Nazanin's arrest confirms that.

What we must now not do

is react in ways that strengthen hardliners.

Our advice is patience and quiet.

Quiet enables diplomacy and strategy and, um... progress.

Which is what we want, is it not?

Yes, very much so.

Good.

"My darling little child.

"Each morning, you will be wondering where I am."

"Each morning, you will feel that I've abandoned you."

"That is something I would never do."

"Each and every second, my body aches for you."

"My dear Richard."

"My husband."

"Save me."

PHONE BUZZES

Hello? Mohammad?

Richard, how are you? This is Mohammad. Can you hear me?

Yes, yes.

Listen, I have Nazanin on a different phone.

You do? Yes. If I put the two phones together,

she would like to try to speak with you. Yes, yes,

please do that. Do that.

Richard, can you hear me?

Nazanin! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, my love, is that you?

Nazanin, it's so good to hear your voice. I miss you so much.

I love you so much. I love you, too. I love you, too.

Richard, they've been saying you forgot about me.

Never. Never. No-one has forgotten about you.

Every day, you are all we think about, and only you.

I want this to be over. I want to come home.

I'm scared. I'm so scared.

My love, believe me, we're doing everything we can.

Please stay strong. And I promise this will one day be the past.

I promise. I promise.

My love?

Nazanin? Naz? Sorry, Richard, but she's gone.