Detained British couple tell family last Iran court hearing ‘had not gone well’

A British couple detained in Iran have told their family they are now expecting a verdict rather than another court appearance after their last hearing “had not gone well”.

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.

Lindsay’s son Joe Bennett said he had recently spoken to his mother for the second time since she was detained, after she was permitted a 20-minute call from prison on Thursday.

Mr Bennett said: “There was very little my mother could say. Her spirits were low.

“She told me that a further recent court appearance last week had not gone well.

“We had been told to expect a verdict rather than another appearance.

“I don’t know exactly what that means, but I could feel she’s losing hope.”

The detained couple’s family met Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this month, but Mr Bennett described the approach of the UK Government as “deeply concerning”.

He said: “Right now, it feels like each side is waiting for the other to move first.

“The British are waiting for a sentence before acting. The Iranians are deciding what sentence to hand down.

“And in the middle of this diplomatic stalemate are my parents, innocent people caught between two systems moving too slowly.”

Mr Bennett added: “It’s been 10 months.

“It feels like living a nightmare, one we can’t wake from.

“The horizon for their freedom feels hard to see, but with public support, I still believe we can get there.”

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

In a statement, a spokesman for the FCDO said: “We are deeply concerned by reports that Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged with espionage in Iran.

“We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.

“The FCDO are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”