The son of a British couple, detained in Iran, said that when he came to know about his arrest, he broke into tears and did not hear them in six months.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were on a “one-time lifetime” motorbike trip worldwide when he was arrested in January and was later accused of espionage, which was denied by the family.
His son Joe Bennett told BBC Breakfast: “I want to be clear, my parents are not a spy, they are not a political player, they are not criminals. They are mom and father.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated that they were continuing to assist the family and increase the matter directly with Iranian officials.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Foreman were motorbikes from East Sussex, 52 from Sussex, Spain to Australia when they moved to Iran on 31 December.
Mr. Bennett said that he had last talked to his parents before his arrest on 3 January, before he was being held in the end of January and Accused of spying in February.
“I didn’t know what to do or where to turn,” he remembered.
Mr. Bennett said that a “generic letter” written by his mother was shared with friends and family since then, and that the update on his goodness came from three welfare investigations by the UK Embassy officials – the last in May.
“It is difficult when you are used to hear someone’s voice every day,” said Mr. Bennett.
Family handout“She is sleeping on a wafer-thunder mattress,” she said about her mother, “it bothers very much”.
“You always go back to how they will feel, this is something that the family receives the most.”
Mr. Bennett said that his parents were very active people who preferred to Pararun, and were trying to “keep as much fit” in their cell.
“In the right fashion, they are now running eight shapes in their cell,” he said, “which only reflects their mental fate”.
He said that the conflict between Iran and Israel in June was a “terrible” period, “Don’t know if they were fine or safe”.
The couple continued the couple on 8 June due to Tehran being shifted to the infamous Evin Jail, which was bombed by Israel on 23 June – while the war also saw that Britain pulled the employees of their embassy out of the city.
Mr. Bennett remembered thinking: “They are now left alone, we are not found people who can push for their safety and goodness.”
He said that the Foreign Office should do more immediate work to bring him home, saying that he was not “clear” on his strategy to do so.
Currently fcdo Advises all the trips to IranSaying that the British and British-Iranian double citizens are “significant risk” in arrest, inquiry or custody.
It has also been said that the UK government’s support is “very limited in Iran”.
It is written in the guidance, “No one will be able to help any face to face in an emergency and the UK government will not be able to help you in difficulty in Iran.”
Mr. Bennett said that the family has reservation about his decision to travel to the country and asked, “Why will you go there?”
But he insisted that the couple did “proper means” – with the right visa, with a licensed tour guide, and in hotels and with main roads.
“He followed every guideline in the book, which they could … It was not clearly enough.”
Mr. Bennett said that he believes that he was arrested because “he has UK passports and is being used as an ignition by the Iranian regime”.
A spokesman for Iran’s judiciary stated in February that the couple had entered Iran “under the guise of tourists” and had entered the “gathered information” in many parts of the country.
He said that the couple were under supervision by intelligence agencies and were arrested as part of the “coordinated intelligence operation”.
In recent years, Iran has arrested dozens of Iranians with dual nationality or foreign permanent residence, mostly on detective and national security charges. At least 15 have been linked to Britain.
Human rights groups say that they are often held as a leverage, only released when Iran receives something in return.
Mr. Bennett said that the foreign office was helpful in terms of words and comfort, but we are now in the past, “describing the relationship as” functional “.
He said that his “calm diplomacy” approach “was going on for a very long” and the family “was not clear what the strategy is”.
“We know where we stand and what we want is to do this for you.”
A FCDO spokesperson said: “We take the matter directly with Iranian officials, we are providing them with consular assistance and we are in close contact with the family.”
