BBC News :

Jailed British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be given diplomatic protection by Britain, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

It means the case will now be treated as a formal, legal dispute between the two states involved – Britain and Iran.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed for five years in Iran in 2016 after being convicted of spying, which she denies.

Mr Hunt said the move was unlikely to be a “magic wand” to get her release but was an “important diplomatic step”.

He said it “demonstrates to the whole world that Nazanin is innocent” and signalled to Iran “that its behaviour is totally wrong”.

However, Iran refuses to recognise dual nationals so does not recognise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s right to be represented by Britain.

Diplomatic protection is a rare legal procedure in international law. States can use it to help one of its nationals whose rights have been breached in another country.

It is very different to diplomatic immunity, which is something given to diplomats to ensure their safe passage and protection from prosecution.

According to the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale, her new legal status will not force Iran to change the way it treats her. But it will allow Britain to raise her case with greater ease at international forums like the United Nations.

‘The UK will not stand by’

On Thursday, Mr Hunt said he decided to grant Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe this status because of Iran’s “unacceptable treatment” of her – such as the denial of medical treatment and legal support required by international law.

“This represents formal recognition by the British government that her treatment fails to meet Iran’s obligations under international law and elevates it to a formal state-to-state issue,” he said in a statement.

“My decision is an important diplomatic step which signals to Tehran that its behaviour is totally wrong.

“It is unlikely to be a magic wand that leads to an overnight result. But it demonstrates to the whole world that Nazanin is innocent and the UK will not stand by when one of its citizens is treated so unjustly.

“I know there are many in Iran who understand the unjustness of this situation. No government should use innocent individuals as pawns for diplomatic leverage so I call on Iran to release this innocent woman so she can be reunited with her family.”