The 5th May marked the five year anniversary of Kamal Foroughi’s detention. Mr Dowden held a Parliamentary adjournment debate with the objective of raising awareness of the constituent’s campaign amongst other MPs and to call for the immediate release of Kamal Foroughi on compassionate grounds. Kamal Foroughi’s son, Kamran, is a Hertsmere resident and is leading the campaign to free his father. Please follow this link to watch the debate: http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/02e090ce-1a0a-4980-a612-37d98e26d3… Mr Dowden said: “I thought it was important a hold a full Parliamentary debate to discuss the sad case of Kamal Foroughi to increase awareness about Kamran’s campaign. It has now been five years since Kamal’s detention and Kamran and his family are becoming increasingly concerned about Kamal’s health. “Before he was detained in 2011 his UK doctor informed him that he was at risk of developing cancer and required regular medical check-ups. Since being detained, Kamal has only received one medical check-up, this occurred last November in response to Kamran going public with his campaign. However, the results of this medical have yet to be communicated to either Kamal or Kamran. “I was glad that the debate was so well attended and that there was good cross-Party representation. Clearly a number of my Parliamentary colleagues are aware of Kamran’s campaign and many made significant contributions to the debate.” In early April another case to light of a UK-Iranian citizen being detained unfairly by Iranian authorities. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was visiting family in Iran when she was detained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard at Iman Khomeini Airport, Tehran. Nazanin was then transported six hundred miles south to Kerman province and was kept in solitary confinement until earlier this week. At the airport Nazanin was separated from her twenty two month old baby girl, a full British citizen, who was stripped of her passport and is still being held in Iran. On the same day as Mr Dowden’s debate Nazanin’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, presented a petition to Number 10 Downing Street calling for her release. Kamran Foroughi and Richard Ratcliffe made contact with each other a couple of weeks ago and are working together closely to draw attention to the plight of Kamal and Nazanin. Mr Dowden referred to Nazanin’s case during his speech and Kamran sat with Richard Radcliffe in the public gallery as the debate took place. Mr Dowden said: “I know that Kamran and Nazanin’s husband, Richard, have been in touch. They have clearly been a source of comfort for each other during this extremely difficult time. During my speech I was keen to pay reference to Nazanin’s case and the plight of other dual UK-Iranian citizens. “Clearly there is a more general issue here of UK-Iranian citizens being treated with intense suspicion by Iranian authorities and their rights and liberties being trampled upon by the Iranian judiciary system. I was keen to draw attention to this. “At a time when improving Iran-UK business relations is said to be a key objective for the Iranian regime, it is extremely counter-productive for them to treat dual UK-Iranian citizens in such a way for it is these individuals, with links in both countries, which could be at the forefront of forging closer business and economic ties.” Mr Dowden called upon Foreign Office Minister, Tobias Ellwood, who attended the debate, to ensure that the Government escalate their efforts to secure the release of Kamal Foroughi and other UK-Iranian citizens. In response, Mr Ellwood stated: “A series of meetings have already taken place at a number of levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised Mr Foroughi’s case with Foreign Minister Zarif in the margins of the International Syria Support Group. The meeting took place on Monday of this week. Yesterday afternoon, in preparation for this debate, I met Iran’s chargé d’affaires, Mr Habibollahzadeh, to discuss Mr Foroughi’s case. “The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary raised Mr Foroughi’s case with Foreign Minister Zarif in London in February, and the Prime Minister wrote to President Rouhani last year, and also discussed Mr Foroughi’s case with him in January of this year. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Foroughi’s case during his visit to Tehran in August 2015 when our embassy was reopened. We have also been utilising our partnership relationships with Germany, France and Italy to get them to lobby the Iranian Government on our behalf. “There has been a huge amount of effort at the very highest of levels to raise these matters. On a consular level, the team in the Foreign Office is working to support the family and to make sure that we are providing the consular assistance that is expected.” Mr Dowden added: “I hope that this debate gives both campaigns a boost and results in the Government doubling their efforts to secure the release of both Kamal and Nazanin. I continue to monitor developments closely and will also be working with Nazanin’s MP, Tulip Sidiq, to secure a positive outcome.”