The son of a British couple held in an Iranian prison has launched a fierce critique of the UK government, accusing it of not doing enough to secure their release. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, have been detained since January after being arrested during a global motorcycle tour.
'Hostage Taking' and Echoes of a Previous Ordeal
Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman's son, told Sky News that the situation bears chilling similarities to the detention of British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. He described the Iranian regime's actions as 'hostage taking' and dismissed the espionage charges as completely baseless. 'They're not spies, it's quite simple,' he stated unequivocally.
The couple were initially taken into custody in the Iranian city of Kerman in January. After being charged with espionage—which they strongly deny—they were moved to different jails in Tehran in August. In a small relief for the family, they were reunited in October at the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, the same facility where Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned for six years.
A Call for the UK Government to 'Stand Up'
Mr Bennett expressed his profound frustration with the Foreign Office's approach, which he characterised as passive. 'They've got two UK citizens that are accused of spying for the British state, but they're not coming out and defending them,' he said during an interview. He issued a direct plea: 'You need to stand up for your citizens and call it out.'
When questioned on whether a quieter diplomatic approach might be more effective, Bennett rejected the idea outright. He argued that while such caution might be understandable for minor charges, it was 'no justification' for state-level political accusations like espionage.
Support from a Veteran of the Same Struggle
Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is now supporting the Foreman family's campaign. He told Sky News that he is hearing 'too many echoes of our experience' in their case, highlighting a potentially recurring pattern in how such detentions are handled.
The UK Foreign Office continues to warn all British nationals against all travel to Iran due to the 'significant risk of arrest, questioning, or detention'. A spokesperson stated in October that the department was 'deeply concerned' by the reports of espionage charges and confirmed it is providing consular support.
