A British couple detained in Iran on allegations of espionage face what their family says could be long prison terms after being held since late January, with relatives describing overcrowded, unsanitary conditions and limited contact.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52, were arrested three days after entering Iran on Jan. 1 while on a motorbike trip the family described as a round-the-world tour. Their son, Joe Bennett, said in an interview that he has been told human rights lawyers expect sentences of up to 10 years and that the couple may be used as leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
Family members in the U.K. say communication with the couple has been intermittent and scarce. Bennett said he did not speak with his mother for 213 days after the arrest and has received occasional voice messages recorded on other inmates’ phones and short emails. He said the last direct telephone contact with his mother was in early August and that his stepfather spoke to the British ambassador on Sept. 2.
Bennett described his mother as being held at Qarchak women’s prison near Tehran in an overcrowded cell of about 13 square meters with ten other prisoners, sleeping on a metal frame without a mattress and surviving on a daily diet of rice and gristle, with little water and extreme heat. He said his stepfather was in Fashafouyeh central prison in Tehran, sharing a cell with 21 inmates. He said both had lost significant weight and were struggling to walk.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with the family, Bennett said, but he criticized what he described as a lack of higher-level engagement and said he wanted meetings with more senior officials, including the foreign secretary. The family said the most senior government official they have spoken to about the case is Hamish Falconer, the parliamentary under-secretary for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The couple were reportedly arrested on suspicion of espionage. Bennett said he had heard reports that his parents were “suddenly whisked” to a court in Tehran on Aug. 28 and appeared with a state-appointed lawyer they had only just met. He said he did not know the full charges and that human rights lawyers had warned him to expect heavy sentences. He added that he had been told the death penalty was not impossible but that he did not believe it was likely.
The family said the FCDO initially advised against public campaigning, urging quiet diplomacy. Bennett said he held off from making public appeals after initial advice from officials but later spoke out when concerns grew, especially after reports that Kerman Prison, to which his parents were due to be transferred, was bombed amid escalating regional tensions. Bennett said the family went public in June because they were unable to confirm the couple’s whereabouts and feared for their safety.
Bennett and other family members have publicly disputed the espionage allegations. He described his mother as a life coach and “free spirit” who had given up a corporate career to pursue research into what constitutes a good life; he said the couple were collecting stories for a psychology research project and planned to present findings at a conference in Brisbane. Bennett said the pair had posted travel updates on social media during their tour, which he acknowledged may have made them easier to locate.
The FCDO has classified the case as a consular case and has been in contact with Iranian authorities to seek information, a government source familiar with the matter said. The U.K. government has repeatedly warned British nationals against travel to Iran because of the risk of arrest and detention, particularly for dual nationals and those who have previously visited Israel or have contact with foreign organisations.
Bennett said his parents were in their early 50s, each with extended families in the U.K. and that the prospect of lengthy sentences raised concerns about whether they would see elderly relatives again. He described the psychological toll on family members and said he had taken time off work to campaign for their release.
The couple had lived in Spain after appearing on a Channel 4 programme, according to Bennett, and had been travelling together for several years. Bennett said the last direct voice contact from his mother came around Jan. 2, when she told him she was “absolutely loving it” and that the people in Iran were “amazing.” He said communications stopped on Jan. 3, and that the FCDO later opened a missing persons case before confirming the pair’s detention on Jan. 27.
Legal rights groups have documented cases of foreign nationals detained in Iran being held for prolonged periods with limited consular access and trials that can be delayed or conducted without full transparency. Human rights lawyers have told family members in comparable cases to expect initial long sentences that are later negotiated down in the course of diplomatic discussions.
Bennett said the family’s campaign was intended to increase pressure for consular access and higher-level diplomatic engagement. He said that while he appreciated the contact he had received from FCDO staff, the family wanted clearer information about the charges, trial dates and prison conditions and sought assurances that the couples’ rights would be respected.
Officials at the FCDO declined to comment on the specifics of the case beyond confirming that consular staff were providing assistance and raising concerns with Iranian authorities. Iranian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Foremans leave behind adult children and elderly parents in the U.K.; Bennett said relatives were finding the situation distressing and uncertain. He described small rituals the family had adopted to stay connected, including telling his mother they would look at the moon whenever they wanted to think of one another.
The case raises broader questions about the risks facing foreign travellers in Iran and the challenges consular officials face in cases involving criminal allegations. The FCDO advises that British nationals in Iran should expect limited consular assistance and that decisions by Iranian authorities on detention and prosecution are matters for the Iranian judicial system.
Bennett said his family remained hopeful for his parents’ release and continued to press for more information and diplomatic action. "Love outweighs everything," he said. "They will come home. They will be okay."