Son of British couple trapped in Tehran prison asks Trump for help after being ‘let down’ by British government
The son of a British couple trapped in an Iranian prison is asking Donald Trump for help after being “let down” by the British government.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, were sentenced to 10 years in prison after they were arrested in January 2025 while traveling in Iran for a global motorcycle trip.
The couple, from East Sussex, are currently being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, which has been caught in the crossfire of US-Israeli bombing.
Ms Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, says British consular staff did not tell his family they were leaving Iran the day before the conflict began and felt a deep sense of abandonment by the government.
“I’m disappointed in my government,” he said Telegram. “They are British citizens who appear to have been abandoned. They are in real and immediate danger.”
Mr Bennett said Independent It’s about the harsh conditions in prison, where his parents were allegedly separated, kept in solitary confinement and denied legal representation during the months-long ordeal.
Ahead of his visit to Washington this week to speak at the US Capitol, Mr Bennett said neither the British prime minister nor the foreign secretary had responded to letters or petitions seeking help. He hopes Mr. Trump can offer support instead.
“Donald Trump is a father and he has a family. I’m sure he loves them deeply. And that’s why I’m asking him to help us get them out of there,” she told the newspaper.
Mr. Bennett, 31, is set to speak at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday during the Transatlantic Conference on Hostage-Taking and Arbitrary Detention in Washington.
“The US is actively raising the hostages’ names in all high-level international discussions, and the UK should do the same for my family,” he said.
Mr Bennett has previously described how a bomb exploded near a Tehran prison on the first day of the war, shattering windows and causing plaster to rain down from the ceiling.
Ms. Foreman, who was on the phone with her son at the time, described a scene of mass hysteria as female inmates hid under metal bunk beds, waiting for the next attack.
The family spokesman said, “The legal process has effectively collapsed. It has been reported that the Revolutionary Courts, which sentenced the couple, were also targeted in the latest airstrikes.”
“Lindsay and Craig’s state-appointed attorney has fled the country, and the family remains unclear as to whether their appeal was successfully heard before the court systems were shut down.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said Independent: “The welfare of British nationals detained in Iran is a priority for this government and remains so in the current situation in the Middle East.
“The sentences for Craig and Lindsay are absolutely appalling and completely unjustifiable and we will continue to pursue this case relentlessly against the Iranian regime and will continue to do so until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their families.
“We continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families.”
