A British couple detained in Iran have been charged with espionage.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were taken into custody in the Iranian city of Kerman last week. Iranian state media confirmed last week the couple had been taken into custody.
The couple, both aged 52, had been travelling through the country as part of a motorcycle journey across the world. They had planned to be in Iran for five days.
The Foreign Office previously said in a statement shared on behalf of the family: “This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are deeply focused on ensuring their safety and wellbeing during this trying time.”
The family has described it as a “distressing situation.” They continued: “We are actively engaging with the British government and relevant authorities, working diligently to navigate the complexities of this matter.”
Mr and Mrs Foreman had been travelling to Australia as part of their journey across the globe. They entered Iran via Armenia on December 30 and had planned to have arrived in Pakistan by January 4.
The UK Foreign Office strongly advises Brits against travel to Iran. On its website, it added: “British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
Iran’s government is actively hostile against western nations and its allies, having supported terrorist organisations in the Middle East. The regime has previously detained British citizens.
Dual Iranian-British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in the country between April 2016 to March 2022. She was jailed in the country after being found guilty of planning to topple the Iranian government.
But figures in Britain dispute this and believe she was detained dur to an ongoing dispute between Iran and Britain. Her husband believes Iran detained her to gain leverage over a debt the UK owed following failure to deliver tanks to the country before the Iranian Revolution.
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