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<p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not consider that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's
detention amounts to hostage-taking under the Hostages Convention 1979. In particular,
the Convention expressly states that it does not apply to situations where the offence
takes place wholly within a single State and in which both the hostage and perpetrator
are nationals of that State. We do not accept our nationals being used as diplomatic
leverage and exercising diplomatic protection in Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case formally
raised it to a State-to-State issue. We continue to raise her case at the most senior
levels; most recently the Prime Minister raised his concerns with President Rouhani
on 24 September.</p>
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