Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she will set aside the “black hole in my heart” left by six years of captivity in Iran.
Speaking at a press conference in the House of Commons the former hostage said her treatment by the Iranian government was “cruel”, but she is determined to move forward.
She said: "I almost feel as if I am holding a black hole in my heart, but I am going to leave that black hole on the plane. I am not going to live with a grudge.”
With her husband Richard beside her, the British-Iranian mother paid tribute to his campaign to keep her plight in the spotlight.
But the 43-year-old, who landed back in Britain on Thursday after the UK finally agreed to settle a £400 million debt dating back to the 1970s, criticised the Government for the length of time it took to secure her release.
Pointing out there had been five changes of Foreign Secretary before she was released, she said: “What happened now should have happened six years ago.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe said the journey back home was “tough”.
After her husband thanked the Government, she said: “I do not really agree with him on that level.”
She said she has seen five Foreign Secretaries over the course of six years, adding: “That is unprecedented given the politics of the UK.
"I love you Richard, respect whatever you believe, but I was told many, many times that ‘Oh we’re going to get you home’. That never happened.”
She added: “I mean, how many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? Five?”
In a dignified and composed appearance, she declined to answer questions about what solitary confinement was like but said she felt “powerless” in jail and just waited “to see what would happen”.
She said: “It will always haunt me. It is never going to leave you alone.”
“At the moment I would rather focus on coming back home.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe highlighted the continued detention of British-US national and wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz, who, according to his family, has gone on hunger strike after he was taken back into prison after just 48 hours on furlough.
She said the “meaning of freedom is never going to be complete” until Morad Tahbaz and other dual nationals are released and reunited with their families.
The 66-year-old British-US national detained by Iran has gone on hunger strike, his sister has said.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson caused the detention of Zaghari-Ratcliffe to “go on for longer because of his words” while he was Foreign Secretary.
The Labour leader told reporters on a visit to Stevenage that when Zaghari-Ratcliffe returned to the UK last week it was “just an incredible moment”.
He added: “I’m sorry to say that the Prime Minister caused this to go on for longer because of his words."
“I do think there are questions that now need to be asked in relation to that.”
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