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The husband of a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Tehran has spoken of his hopes for her freedom, as a senior Foreign Office minister visits the country.

Alistair Burt will hold talks with senior Iranian politicians and is set to raise the cases of dual national detainees including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five year jail term in the capital for allegedly plotting to topple the country's government - a charge she has repeatedly denied.

She was arrested at Tehran Airport in April last year while visiting family in Iran with daughter Gabriella.

Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told Sky News of his hopes that Mr Burt's talks would lead to her freedom.

Mr Ratcliffe said he hoped the politician "raises her case as much as possible, presses the Iranian government that this situation cannot continue, and that she's innocent and should be released".

He said he believed the UK government "sincerely cared" about the case.

But he also complained ministers had never spoken out and criticised her treatment, never said she was innocent and never publicly called for her release.

She has been held alone at Evin prison for the past nine months but Mr Ratcliffe said he had recently been able to talk to her on the phone every week.

He said she was in a "fragile state" and has seen a psychiatrist who diagnosed she has advanced depression.

Mr Ratcliffe said: "She's been talking in very dark terms about what she might do.

"My job is to keep campaigning and to keep her knowing we're all rooting for her, she's not forgotten and we'll try to bring her home as soon as possible."

Mr Foroughi, 77, is held in the same jail for alleged espionage in Iran. He has strenuously maintained his innocence.

He was detained in 2011 before being convicted of espionage and possessing alcohol two years later.

His son, Kamran Foroughi, told Sky News: "I am always grateful for the UK Government's intervention. The longer this goes on, the more worried we are about my dad's health.

"It's very unclear to us what sort of physical state he is in. He sounds okay on the phone...but at that age anything can happen very quickly."

Roya Nobakht is another British-Iranian being held in Evin prison.

She was jailed for five years in 2013 for making anti-government comments on Facebook.

Amnesty International UK warned the Government it must "significantly raise its game" over those being held.

Ahead of his trip Mr Burt said the UK was "keen to maintain dialogue" on issues including the detainees.

He said: "We hope to build further on improving UK-Iran relations during President Rouhani's second term."

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Briton hopes talks will trigger wife's release from prison in Iran - Sky News