The family of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple from East Sussex detained in Iran since January 2025, are pleading for urgent action from the UK government as the pair face another court hearing this Saturday. The Foremans, both 52, were arrested by Iranian authorities while passing through Kerman during a round-the-world motorcycle adventure—a trip that was supposed to be the journey of a lifetime, not the beginning of an ordeal that has left them, and their loved ones, in anguish.
According to multiple reports by BBC and The Times of Israel, Iranian officials have charged the Foremans with espionage, a claim their family vehemently denies. Their son, Joe Bennett, has become the family’s spokesperson, painting a grim picture of their conditions in custody. “We need to be taken seriously. Our parents are innocent, they are enduring horrific conditions, and they are suffering repeated violations of their human rights,” Bennett stated in a message shared with AFP and echoed in other outlets.
For the Foreman family, the past nine months have been a rollercoaster of fear and frustration. Relatives say they have been kept “completely in the dark” about the couple’s legal proceedings, with only sporadic and limited communication allowed. It wasn’t until early August that the family spoke to Lindsay and Craig for the first time since their detention, a delay that has only increased their anxiety.
“Every day is painful and filled with fear and sadness—they do not have the luxury of waiting for bureaucratic wheels to slowly turn,” Bennett told BBC Sussex. “They need real, tangible support for their court appearances and to ensure proper medical attention, regular family contact and the urgent securing of their release.”
The Foremans’ ordeal is compounded by reports from rights groups and sources familiar with the case, who allege that the couple have been subjected to solitary confinement, physical abuse, and even threats of execution by Iranian intelligence agents seeking forced confessions. These allegations, reported by BBC and The Times of Israel, have intensified calls for intervention and support from the British government.
Currently, Lindsay and Craig are being held in separate prisons in or near Tehran. The family has specifically requested that Lindsay be transferred to Evin prison, where her husband is currently detained, in hopes that they might at least endure this ordeal together. “They need real, tangible support, not just words,” Bennett emphasized, pushing for more than just diplomatic statements.
As the couple’s next court appearance approaches—scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025—the family finds themselves once again “in the dark.” About a month earlier, the Foremans were “suddenly whisked” into court without any prior notice to relatives, who still have no details about what transpired during that hearing. This lack of transparency only adds to the family’s distress and sense of helplessness.
Seeking to ramp up pressure on the government, the Foreman family has rallied support in Parliament. A letter signed by 35 Members of Parliament and members of the all-party parliamentary group for arbitrary detention and hostage affairs was sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging immediate action. The family has also requested an urgent meeting with Cooper to discuss the case and press for more robust intervention.
Earlier this month, relatives met with the UK Ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, who confirmed that Lindsay and Craig continue to endure extremely tough prison conditions. The family’s frustration, however, is not limited to the Iranian authorities. Their disappointment with the British government is palpable, as they feel that diplomatic efforts so far have done little to improve the couple’s situation.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has responded to inquiries by stating it is “deeply concerned” about the Foremans’ plight and “continues to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.” Yet, for the family, these reassurances ring hollow in the face of ongoing suffering and uncertainty. Britain has repeatedly rejected Tehran’s charges and pressed for the couple’s release, but with little tangible progress to show.
“This is about survival and dignity,” Bennett said in a statement to BBC. “The systematic harassment and violations must stop. They need real, tangible support for their court appearances and to ensure proper medical attention, regular family contact and the urgent securing of their release.”
The Foremans’ case is emblematic of a broader pattern that has drawn international scrutiny. Western governments and rights organizations have long accused Iran of detaining foreign nationals as leverage in diplomatic disputes—a practice sometimes labeled as “hostage diplomacy.” Tehran, for its part, denies these allegations, maintaining that its judicial process is legitimate and independent.
Behind the headlines, the Foremans’ story is a deeply human one. A couple in their early fifties, passionate about travel and adventure, now find themselves at the mercy of a foreign legal system, separated from each other and from their family back home. Their son’s public appeals capture the raw emotion and urgency of their situation, as well as the sense of abandonment that can come when governments move too slowly or cautiously in the face of international crises.
The family’s demands are clear: immediate and meaningful diplomatic intervention, improved prison conditions, access to medical care, and regular communication with loved ones. They also want assurances that Lindsay and Craig will be treated fairly and humanely as their case moves through the Iranian courts—something that, so far, has been far from guaranteed.
As Saturday’s court date looms, the Foreman family waits anxiously, hoping that this hearing will bring clarity, if not freedom, for Lindsay and Craig. Their ordeal has galvanized support from lawmakers and rights advocates alike, but the path forward remains uncertain. For now, the family’s message to the UK government is simple and urgent: “They need real, tangible support, not just words.”
With international attention focused on their case, the Foremans’ fate now hangs in the balance—a stark reminder of the personal costs of geopolitical tensions and the enduring power of family in the face of adversity.