‘Crammed into a cell with vermin at New Year’
The family of two Britons detained in Iran said they had been unable to speak to visiting British Foreign Office officials due to government “holiday schedules”.
Iranian authorities arrested Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a couple from East Sussex during a motorcycle tour of the world, in January 2025.
According to their son Joe Bennett, a consular visit took place on Monday but the family “was not allowed to speak to the team” who saw them “because it was their vacation”.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We continue to provide consular assistance to the foremen and remain in close contact with their family members. »
Mr Bennett, from Folkestone in Kent, said: “Meanwhile, Craig is crammed into a cell of 160 people, surrounded by violence, vermin and disease, without soap or medical care.
“It’s not enough. It feels like families are an afterthought.”
The couple was accused of espionage, which their family called “ridiculous.”
They appeared in court several times but were not formally tried or sentenced.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said the government was “deeply concerned” and was continuing to “raise this matter directly with the Iranian authorities”.
Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper reportedly raised the case when she spoke with her Iranian counterpart in December.
The government advises against travel to Iran due to a “significant risk” of arrest and says links to the UK “may be reason enough for Iranian authorities to arrest you”.
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