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The family of two Britons detained in Iran say they were unable to speak to UK Foreign Office officials who visited the couple due to government “holiday schedules”.<\/p>\n
Iranian authorities arrested Craig and Lindsay Foreman, an East Sussex couple on an around-the-world motorbike trip, in January 2025.<\/p>\n
According to their son Joe Bennett, a consular visit took place on Monday but family “haven’t been allowed to speak to the team” who saw them “because it’s their holidays”.<\/p>\n
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We continue to provide the Foremans with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”<\/p>\n
Mr Bennett, of Folkestone in Kent, said: “Meanwhile, Craig is crammed into a cell with 160 people, surrounded by violence, vermin and disease, with no soap and no medical care.<\/p>\n
“This is not good enough. It feels like the families are an afterthought.”<\/p>\n
The couple has been accused of espionage, which their family said was “ludicrous”.<\/p>\n
They have appeared in court several times but have not been officially tried or convicted<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Foreign Office spokesperson said the government was “deeply concerned” and continued to “raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities”.<\/p>\n Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is understood to have raised the case when she spoke to her Iranian counterpart in December.<\/p>\n The government advises against all travel to Iran because of a “significant risk” of arrest and says connections to the UK “can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you”.<\/p>\n Follow BBC Kent on <\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/a>, on <\/em>X<\/em><\/a>, and on <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>. Send your story ideas to <\/em>southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk<\/em><\/a> or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.<\/em><\/p>\nMore on this story<\/h2>\n
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