A Kenilworth councillor has called on the town's MP to support the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in his second hunger demanding the government does more to free his wife.

Richard Ratcliffe, who has family in the Kenilworth and Southam constituency, started his hunger strike near the Foreign Office on Sunday.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, has now been detained for over 2,000 days in Iran on spying charges.

She recently lost an appeal against a second prison sentence, and is currently staying with her mother in Iran, unable to leave the country.

She, and her family, have continued to deny any wrongdoing.

After his latest meeting with the foreign office Mr Ratcliffe said he had "no confidence in their strategy and their reluctance to act".

His first hunger strike lasted 15 days in 2019 outside the Iranian Embassy.

Their daughter, Gabriella, was returned to the UK in October 2019 having been staying with her grandparents in Iran since her mother's detainment.

Mr Ratcliffe added: "Two years ago I went on hunger strike in front of the Iranian Embassy, on the eve of Boris Johnson taking over as Prime Minister.

"Two years ago we were allowed to camp in front of Iranian Embassy for 15 days – much to their considerable anger. But it got Gabriella home."

Over 3.5 million people have signed an online petition calling for justice for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to be freed.

Local response

District and town Councillor Richard Dickson has called on Kenilworth's MP Jeremy Wright to do more to support Mr Ratcliffe.

"I've asked our MP if he has already visited Mr Ratcliffe - or when he plans to do so - on his hunger strike to offer his full support?"

Yesterday (October 25) MPs discussed the release of British citizens held in Iran, with minister assuring the house that this remains a top priority for the FCDO.

Cllr Dickson added: "After more than 2,000 days of Nazanin being held hostage it's hard to see how this can reasonably be held to be the case.

"I've asked our MP if he was in the house to hear the Minister's statement? Our MP didn't say anything in response to the statement although other MPs did, including Layla Moran from Liberal Democrats, who also has relatives of Mr Ratcliffe in her constituency.

"Finally I've asked our MP if he will follow up the Minister's statement by writing to him to encourage the government to do more to secure the release of Mr Ratcliffe's wife?"

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(Image of Jeremy Wright via parliament.uk