Family of Lindsay and Craig Foreman held in Iran take petition to No 10

The son of a British woman detained with her husband in Iran has submitted a 70,000-signature petition to Downing Street, calling on the government to do more to release them.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were detained during a world motorcycle tour in January 2025.

The East Sussex couple, who were later accused of espionage, are currently in Tehran’s Evin prison. They deny the allegations.

Ms Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said the pair were trying to stay strong in “one of the worst places on earth”.

He was accompanied at Number 10 by former detainee Anoosheh Ashoori and Richard Ratcliffe, who has gone on hunger strike twice. his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from Iran.

Mr Bennett, of Folkestone, Kent, said: “I need to know them [the government] “They are doing their best to get them home.”

The petition was delivered after a chorus of supporters sang Stand By Me.

Bennett said each day spent in prison “destroys their mental and physical health”, adding: “They are not spies of the British state.”

He was speaking on Saturday, when Iranian media reported another day of clashes between security forces and demonstrators.

Protests broke out in Iran last Sunday due to inflation and currency devaluation after the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the US dollar.

At least It is stated that 8 people died During week-long protests starting Saturday morning.

On Friday, Donald Trump warned Iran that the United States would “come to their aid” if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters.”

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the US president’s warning was “reckless and dangerous”.

Mr Bennett described it as a “worrying situation”.

He said he urged Mr. and Mrs. Foreman to prepare for different possible scenarios, including what they might have to do if the regime were toppled.

“They need to be as prepared as possible for this possibility,” he said.

Bennett stated that he was able to talk to his family in prison, adding: “Their health is deteriorating. It’s a difficult situation for them. They protect us about what the real reality is for them because they don’t want us to be afraid.”

“My mom is the most important person in the world to me, and it’s hard to accept when you hear her upset and upset and crying and begging to come home.

“Yes, they are strong, but every day is a day that destroys their mental and physical health.”

The State Department said the government was “deeply concerned” and continued to “discuss this case directly with Iranian officials.”