Son of UK couple jailed in Iran details ‘unsafe’ conditions amid protests
The son of a British couple detained in Iran has expressed concern for their welfare after the UK’s embassy in Tehran was closed amid a deadly crackdown on anti-regime protests.
Joe Bennett’s parents, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, were on a trip around the world in January last year when they were arrested by Iranian authorities and charged with espionage.
Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight programme, Bennett said the couple were in a “dangerous situation” and that there was “overcrowding” in the prison due to the protests.
He added that the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) had told him they were still “assessing the situation”.
The FCDO previously told the BBC it was continuing to discuss the Foremans’ case directly with Iranian authorities.
The British government announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran on Wednesday and said it would now work remotely.
A government spokesman said: “We have temporarily closed the British Embassy in Tehran, this will now be conducted remotely. The Foreign Office’s travel advice has now been updated to reflect this consular change.”
The UK ambassador and all consular staff were evacuated due to a security assessment and concerns for staff safety.
Bennett said his parents planned to go to the British embassy if they were released.
“The problem is, their plan was to go to the embassy, to try to get to the embassy because they saw it as a safe place, and now… Where are they going? What are they doing?” he said.
Bennett, who last met with his family on Wednesday, said that during the short communication he was able to establish, they told him about the “unsafe” and “scary” conditions of the prison.
“There are vermin in the kitchen and in the beds. This place is overcrowded, even more overcrowded, as protests continue in Tehran,” he said.
He added that there were “fights breaking out almost every day” in the background of his phone calls with his mother.
Last year, Scottish National Party MP Brendan O’Hara told the BBC that the couple was being used as a “bargaining chip” between the Iranian government and the West.
Bennett also expressed the family’s “disappointment” at the perceived lack of support from the government to secure their parents’ release.
“I look at other countries, for example France, the US, Italy, 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,” he said.
Bennett added that the family simply wanted the government to show “a sign of solidarity” against their plight.
The foreman’s legal representatives in Iran formally applied for bail this week.
According to the family, both Iranian defense lawyers wrote to the court stating that the duo were innocent and that there was no legal basis for their continued detention.
As Iran continues its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that have left at least 2,400 people dead, according to one report. human rights agencyBennett said he just wanted to ensure the safe return of his family.
“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.” he said.
