The husband of a British charity worker in prison in Iran today welcomed the news of academic Matthew Hedges’s release, saying it brought hope for his own case and showed Jeremy Hunt to be a "straight" negotiator.

Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was handed a five-year jail sentence in 2016 over spying charges, said he believe the pardoning of Mr Hedges would provide the UK government with "fresh impetus".

"It certainly brings hope. And to dream that releases are infectious," Mr Ratcliffe told The Telegraph.

"I think it shows the power of engaged diplomacy, but also the strength and honesty of Daniela’s campaigning," he said, referring to Mr Hedges’s wife.

"I think he is just straight – it builds trust. That is not a criticism of any of his predecessors – but it is a striking quality from our experience with him."

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UAE had made a "very important gesture" in pardoning Mr Hedges but said justice would not be done until Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was re-united with her family. 

He described Mr Hedges’ release as a "bittersweet moment" given that 39-year-old Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe remains detained in Iran, also accused of espionage.

He told Today: "In a way it’s a bittersweet moment as in Iran, another country in the region, we have Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an innocent woman who is still in prison for nearly three years now.

"Indeed, there are other British citizens and other citizens from other countries also wrongly imprisoned in Iran also.

"So, you know the wonderful news about Matthew is also making us remember there are other people who are in a terrible state right now and we must never forget them either."

Mr Ratcliffe said that while the latest news made him more optimistic for his own case, he cautioned that he had been here before.

"We will see how things develop in Iran though – we allowed ourselves to get very hopeful last year."

The two spouses have been in contact in recent weeks to offer support and solidarity. 

Both families had initially kept their case quiet on advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which suggested going public could jeopardise negotiations.

Mr Hunt, Foreign Secretary, was in Tehran last week, where he spoke to his counterpart Javid Zarif about a possible pardon for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

He met with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s four-year-old daughter Gabriella and presented her with some gifts, however was not allowed to visit the Thomson Reuters Foundation project manager in Evin prison.

FCO sources told The Telegraph Iran may pick up on the "good PR" from the Hedges’s case, particularly at a time when Tehran is negotiating a new nuclear deal after the US’s exit.