Sussex couple held in Iran in ‘dire’ situation, says son

The son of a British couple detained in Iran has said that their situation remained “dire”.

It comes after Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, recently met with the British Ambassador in Tehran.

The pair, who were on a motorcycle trip around the world, were detained by Iranian authorities in January and later charged with espionage – something the family denies.

Calling on the UK government to act, their son, Joe Bennett, of Folkestone in Kent, said: “They need urgent support, not just words.” The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment.

In a statement released by their family, Mr Foreman was said to be “sharing a single room with 57 men stacked into bunks three high, with little access to fresh air, poor diet and no mattress”.

He is also said to be “suffering with untreated dental pain”, but that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was able to transfer money into his account to allow him to buy food and essentials, it added.

Meanwhile, Ms Foreman has been “crammed into unimaginable conditions with around 70 women in a chaotic area of 140 square metres”, the statement said.

“She is forced to endure frequent power cuts in unbearable heat, poor and limited food, sleeping on a metal bunk that leaves her in constant back pain.”

During her meeting with the ambassador, she requested a prison transfer in order to be closer to her husband, the statement said.

She has also been permitted a regular call with him, while he has been granted permission to see her once a week, it added.

While the family welcomed this, Mr Bennett also warned against complacency.

“Their resilience is extraordinary, but resilience should never be mistaken for acceptable conditions,” he said.

“Right now, their dignity is being denied, and we are calling on the government to ensure Mum is transferred and regular family contact maintained.

“We have to keep pressing for their release.”