A court hearing in Iran for a British couple accused of spying has “not gone well”, according to their family, who say they have been caught in the middle of a “diplomatic stalemate”.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were taken into custody in Kerman in January during a motorcycle tour around the world and were later charged with espionage – allegations they deny.
Lindsay’s son Joe Bennett said he had recently spoken to his mother for the second time since she was detained in Iran, when 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.”
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In August, Mr Bennett told Sky News the pair had been separated from the prison where they were staying together and moved to different jails in the Tehran area.
But, in an update on 14 October, he said they had been reunited at Evin prison – a notorious detention facility in Tehran where British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was once held.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and fellow dual national Anoosheh Ashoori were released in March 2022 after years held captive in Iran.
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‘Deeply concerning’
The family of the Foremans 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.”
‘Living a nightmare’
In September, Britain, France and Germany triggered the return of sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council after Tehran allegedly violated the 2015 deal aimed at stopping it from developing a nuclear bomb.
At the time, Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, warned of a harsh response.
Mr Bennett said: “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.”
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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”.
The FCDO has been approached for comment about the family’s latest news, but previously told Sky News: “We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran. We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.
“We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”
