A British couple detained in Iran on espionage charges will appear in court on Saturday for their latest hearing, their family confirmed on Wednesday, as they renewed calls for stronger UK government action.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52, were arrested in January while travelling through Kerman, central Iran, during a round-the-world motorbike trip. Iranian authorities accuse them of spying, but their family insists the allegations are baseless.
The couple are being held in separate prisons near Tehran. Relatives say they were left “completely in the dark” about the case and only managed to speak to the pair for the first time in early August.
“Our parents are innocent, they are enduring horrific conditions, and they are suffering repeated violations of their human rights,” their son Joe Bennett said in a statement. “We are calling on the UK government to act.”
The family is urging the British government to provide practical support during court appearances, secure Lindsay’s transfer to Evin prison to be closer to her husband, and push for improved medical care and regular contact.
“They need real, tangible support, not just words,” Bennett stressed, adding that they have requested an urgent meeting with new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs also recently pressed Cooper to step up efforts. Meanwhile, Britain’s Ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, acknowledged the couple are enduring “extremely tough prison conditions,” according to the family.
Lindsay is currently held with around 70 inmates in Qarchak women’s prison, a facility long criticised by rights groups for its dire conditions. Craig is detained in an overcrowded cell at Evin prison and recently spent a month without access to funds for food or water, relatives said.
“Both remain without basic necessities despite repeated attempts to deliver care packages,” the family added.
The UK Foreign Office has yet to comment on the latest developments.
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