The Foreign Office has appointed a special envoy for British citizens detained overseas, a new role to deal with “complex consular cases” such as that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national who was imprisoned in Tehran for six years.
Alistair Burt, the former Conservative Middle East minister, has taken on the role, fulfilling a pledge by David Lammy when he was shadow foreign secretary.
It was made after criticism of how the Foreign Office handled the cases of British citizens detained overseas, including the failure to provide consistent support or diplomatic muscle to secure their release. The proposals were backed by Alicia Kearns, then the chair of the foreign affairs select committee.
There was a strong view that the US special presidential envoy for hostages had secured more success and clout inside the diplomatic system, and used more innovative techniques to negotiate the release of Americans.
Burt was tipped for the post more than a year ago. The delay in the appointment appears to have been a result of Foreign Office concerns that an envoy advocating in public for the release of detainees might cut across normal bilateral diplomatic priorities. The Foreign Office instinct in such cases is to avoid publicity.
Burt’s appointment comes days before Keir Starmer stands down as prime minister and seems to have been part of a desk-clearing exercise that raises questions on why the decisions could not have been taken a year earlier.
Burt is known for his wide contacts across the Middle East. He wrote to the foreign affairs select committee that he had repeatedly advocated for more to be done to secure the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held on espionage charges.
The Foreign Office described the role as envoy for “complex consular cases”, a phrase that emphasises the UK’s reluctance to claim British citizens are being held unlawfully or victims of state hostage-taking.
The Foreign Office said: “The new role has been created to provide additional support in particularly complex cases, including those involving concerns about welfare, due process or human rights.
“The appointment contributes to the manifesto commitment to strengthen support for British nationals abroad and those facing the most challenging circumstances overseas.”
Labour had also pledged to introduce a legal right to consular assistance for British nationals facing human rights violations abroad, but no legislation has yet been tabled in parliament to fully formalise this legal right.
Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, said: “Alistair brings a wealth of experience in foreign and consular affairs. I look forward to working with him to build on our support for detainees and their families, helping to drive progress in the most difficult cases.”
Dan Dolan, the deputy chief executive of Reprieve, a legal charity, said: “This is a serious appointment, but the envoy’s success will depend on a strong resolve to bring home arbitrarily detained British nationals and the full backing of the foreign secretary and the prime minister.
“Burt is a credible and experienced figure and can play a transformative role if he mobilises to bring Brits like Jagtar Singh Johal home.”
Johal has been held in an Indian jail on terrorism charges since 2017, but the court case on most charges has yet to be completed, a delay that has been described as an arbitrary detention by the UN.
