In a message posted on X on Thursday, the embassy wrote that on August 27, 2025, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyyed Ali Mousavi, met with Richard John, an Iranian Christian citizen who has been imprisoned at Frankland Prison for over two decades. John has repeatedly expressed his desire to return to Iran.
The statement added that John, who is suffering from a serious illness, has requested for urgent hospitalization and access to emergency medical treatment.
Ambassador Mousavi assured him that his case, including the need for proper medical care, would be pursued without delay through the relevant British authorities.
The Iranian Embassy further emphasized that John’s health condition is critical and that immediate action is necessary to save his life.
In July 2024, Kazem Gharibabadi, then the secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, had criticized the British government for refusing to pardon and repatriate John.
In a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gharibabadi pointed out that John, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a UK court, had renounced his British citizenship in the hope of being released from prison and returning to Iran.
However, the Parole Board of the UK Ministry of Justice has continued to oppose his pardon and deportation, he said.
Gharibabadi also noted that John has not been granted a single day of furlough over the past 20 years, and British authorities have even blocked his transfer to a specialized protected hospital for medical treatment.
IRNA