Detained British couple’s family ‘in the dark’ on upcoming Iran court appearance

The family of a British couple detained in Iran have said they have “no clear information” on their upcoming court appearance, claiming UK officials are also “in the dark”.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were taken into custody in January during a motorcycle tour around the world and were later charged with espionage.

The couple, of East Sussex, deny the allegations.

According to their family, they face court on Saturday in Iran and the family have said it is “deeply worrying” that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also appear not to have been kept informed.

The couple were “suddenly whisked” to a courtroom in the country’s capital Tehran last month, but their relatives said they still have “no news on what happened”.

Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, said: “We are completely in the dark.

“We know they were taken to court already earlier this month, but we have no news on what happened.

“We know they have been given a court-appointed lawyer who thankfully speaks some English, but beyond that we are left guessing.

“We are told they will appear in court again this Saturday, yet we still have no clear information on what will take place.

“It is deeply worrying that the Foreign Office also appear to be in the dark.

“We understand that in other cases the UK has attended court hearings – we urgently need to see this happen for our parents.”

Mr Bennett, of Folkestone, Kent, continued: “We need to be taken seriously.

“Our parents are innocent, they are enduring horrific conditions, and they are suffering repeated violations of their human rights.

“Every day is painful, every day is filled with fear and sadness — they do not have the luxury of waiting for bureaucratic wheels to slowly turn.”

The FCDO warns all British and British-Iranian nationals not to travel to Iran because of a “significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention”.

The FCDO has been approached for comment.