Iran receives Britain's official note on diplomatic protection to jailed dual national

TEHRAN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has received an official note on diplomatic protection that the British government has granted to Nazanin Zaghari, the imprisoned Iranian-British national, Press TV reported on Tuesday.

"We have been informed of the measure taken by the British government and have also received a note from official channels in this regard," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, said Tuesday.

"We are currently taking into consideration the political and legal aspects of the note and will respond to it in due time," Qasemi was quoted as saying.

The British government's move to give Zaghari diplomatic protection "lacks goodwill" and would fail to contribute to the settlement of the issue, he said.

According to Press TV, Iran's intelligence authorities arrested Zaghari at Imam Khomeini International Airport in April 2016 as she was on her way back to London.

She was subsequently put on trial and handed a five-year jail term after being found guilty of spying and spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic, according to report.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced on Friday that London had decided to give Zaghari diplomatic protection "as part of the government's continuing efforts to secure her release."

On Friday, Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad criticized Britain for providing diplomatic protection to Zaghari who is imprisoned in Iran over espionage charges.

"Governments may only exercise such protection to their own nationals. As UK government is acutely aware, Iran does not recognize dual nationality. Irrespective of UK residency, Ms Zaghari thus remains Iranian," Baeidinejad said.