Son raises concerns for British parents detained in Iran amid deadly protests
The son of a British couple detained in Iran has expressed concerns for their welfare after the British embassy in Tehran was closed amid deadly protests in the country.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested by Iranian authorities last January and accused of espionage while traveling around the world.
Their son Joe Bennett warned on Wednesday evening that his parents were facing a “dangerous” situation in prison due to “overcrowding” due to the regime’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in the country.
The British government announced early Wednesday that its embassy in Tehran was temporarily closed and would operate remotely during the demonstrations.
Thousands of protesters have been reported killed in the country in recent weeks and Iranian officials have signaled impending executions for detained suspects, but Donald Trump said he had been informed from a “good source” that those plans had been halted.
Mr Bennett said he had been told by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) that they were still “assessing the situation” of his parents.
A spokesman for the FCDO said in an earlier statement: “We are deeply concerned by reports that Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged with espionage in Iran. We continue to discuss this case directly with Iranian authorities.”
Independent Following concerns raised by her sons, she approached the FCDO for further comment.
Mr Bennett, who last spoke to his family on Wednesday, told the BBC: news night program: “The problem is, their plan was to go to the embassy, to try to get to the embassy because they thought it was a safe place, and now… Where are they going? What are they doing?”
He said his parents described “unsafe” and “scary” conditions in the prison, with “vermin in the kitchen and in the beds” and “fights breaking out almost every day.” He added: “It’s overcrowded in Tehran, it’s even more crowded now that these protests are continuing.”
The family accused the government of not supporting the couple’s release.
Mr Bennett described their “disappointment”: “I look at other nations – France, the US, Italy, for example – when their citizens are put in a similar situation, there is advocacy at the highest level of government… and the UK hasn’t done that.”
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The bail application was reportedly formally submitted this week by the Foremans’ legal representatives in Iran.
According to the family, the couple’s Iranian defense lawyers stated in their letters to the court that the couple was innocent and their continued detention was unlawful.
Mr Bennett said all he wanted was to ensure the safe return of his parents. “Mum and Craig are two innocent UK citizens caught in the middle of all this, so for us it’s about their safety and getting them home as soon as possible, no matter what.”
