POTKIN AZARMEHR SAYS IRAN DEAL MAY ENCOURAGE MORE KIDNAPPING
AN expert on Iran has warned the Government faces being criticised of “caving in” to hostage-takers following news of the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Iran-born investigative journalist Potkin Azarmehr told GB News: “Nazanin’s release is obviously good news, especially for her family, especially for Narzanin and for her daughter.
“I think there’s two sides to the story though. There’s an upside to the story, the humanitarian side of it which we should all be happy about and we should all welcome.
“But there’s a downside, unfortunately, and that is it looks like hostage-taking has paid off.
“In the last so-called Iranian election one of the presidential candidates…as part of his presidential manifesto, was suggesting we should take more foreign hostages and demand money for it.”
Azarmehr made his comments during an interview with GB News presenter Patrick Christys this morning (16 March).
He was responding to reports that the Government has paid £400 million to Iran to secure the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe
He added: “You don’t want to encourage this sort of action – two people have been released but does that mean that more people will be taken hostage?”