The BBC's latest drama series, Prisoner 951, tells the harrowing true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was wrongfully imprisoned in Iran for six years. Across four episodes, viewers get an inside glimpse into Zaghari-Ratcliffe's fight for freedom and the impact it had on her family, including her husband, daughter, and parents.
In the four-part series, Zaghari-Ratcliffe is played by Gangs of London star Narges Rashidi, while her husband Richard Ratcliffe is played by Joseph Fiennes, who you'll recognise from The Handmaid's Tale, American Horror Story, and more. But who is the real Richard Ratcliffe, what role did he play in his wife's release, and where is he now?
Scroll on for details on where Richard Ratcliffe is now and what he has done since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from prison in Iran...
Where is Richard Ratcliffe now?
Richard Ratcliffe worked as an accountant in London before his wife's arrest, which plunged him into the centre of a geopolitical drama. Ratcliffe played an active role in securing Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release (which included years of political campaigning and even a hunger strike), and since then has continued working within the activism and charity sectors.
He currently lives in London with his wife and their daughter, Gabriella.
Are Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe still married?
Yes, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe are still married. Speaking to The Independent about what their life is like now, 50-year-old Ratcliffe said: "Nazanin coming home was about getting back to our normal life."
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"I was desperate to get back to normal – playing with Gabriella in the park on the swings. I wanted to pick up where we left off. But obviously, you don’t get to do that."
Of the lasting impact the ordeal has had, Ratcliffe said they are working on how to heal as a family. "Nazanin's come back with her trauma, and I've had mine," he revealed. "There are scars that will take a while to heal."
He continued: "We've needed to find a new normal, and for me to come out of battle mode, which I hadn't even realised I was in, until she came home. We're on a journey of laying the past to rest and building a new future. It's a work in progress."
What has Richard Ratcliffe done since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release?
Most recently, Ratcliffe has advised the family of detained British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who were arrested on espionage charges in Iran at the beginning of 2025. Speaking to The Mirror about why he has chosen to help the Foreman family, Ratcliffe drew comparisons with his own ordeal. "The main thing that kept us going across the years was knowing we were not alone, finding all these people following our story and caring," he said. "Talking to other families in the same shoes helped me understand our own story better – to realise Iran's games weren't personal, and to better spot the UK's playbook for stalling."
Ratcliffe then explained exactly how he's been helping the Foremans. "The main thing I told them when we first met was that they needed to get it confirmed where they were, and that they were still alive," he revealed. "I told them that there is no road map, and what works for them will be their own path."
When is the next episode of Prisoner 951 out?
Prisoner 951 continues on BBC1 at 9pm on Sunday 30 November and Monday 1 December. All four episodes are already available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
