Relatives of a British couple detained in Iran have expressed significant concern over their situation. The couple, identified as Craig and Lindsay Foreman, were reportedly traveling around the world on motorbikes when they were detained in the southern Iranian city of Kerman on security-related charges. The family released a statement through the U.K. Foreign Office, stating that the unexpected turn of events has caused distress and that they are working diligently to secure the couple's safe return.
The couple had crossed into Iran from Armenia on Dec. 30 and were planning to enter Pakistan next. The U.K. ambassador has met with them, and the U.K. Foreign Office is providing consular assistance. Iran has a history of detaining and releasing Western nationals on security charges, with accusations of using them as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Iran denies these allegations.
In a similar case, British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released in 2022 after more than five years in detention. She had been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of plotting to overthrow Iran's government, a claim that she, her supporters, and rights groups vehemently denied.
