‘They aren't criminals, they are mum and dad': Son of UK couple emotional over parents arrest in Iran; no direct talks in over 6 months
The son of a British couple detained in Iran on espionage charges had broke down when he learnt about his parents' arrest, insisting they are innocent tourists.
"I want to be crystal clear, my parents aren't spies, they're not political players, they aren't criminals. They're Mum and Dad," Joe Bennett, the son of the couple said while speaking to
BBC Breakfast
on Wednesday.
Bennett said he last spoke to his parents on January 3, just before they were arrested. The family was informed of their detention in late January and learned in February that they had been charged with spying.
"I didn't know what to do or where to turn," Bennett recalled.
Since their arrest, the family has received only a single 'generic letter' from his mother. Their wellbeing updates have come solely through three welfare checks conducted by UK embassy officials, the most recent in May.
"That's tough when you're used to hearing someone's voice every day," he said. "You always go back to how they must be feeling, that's the one thing that gets the family the most."
He also spoke about the June conflict between Iran and Israel, calling the period 'terrifying,' as the family had no idea if the couple were 'okay or safe.'
The couple, both 52, were due to be transferred to Evin prison on June 8. The facility was later bombed by Israel on June 23.
The escalation prompted the UK government to evacuate its embassy staff from the city.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were on what their family described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' motorbike trip across the world. They entered Iran from Armenia on December 30 last year, staying in hotels in Tabriz, Tehran, and Isfahan, but never reached their next destination, Kerman. They were arrested in January.
Bennett said the family had raised concerns about their plans to travel to Iran, but emphasised that his parents had followed official procedures.
'They had the right visas, were accompanied by licensed tour guides, and stayed in accommodations along main roads,' he said.
"They followed every guideline in the book they could… that clearly wasn't enough."
In February, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary claimed the couple had entered the country 'under the guise of tourists' and 'gathered information' in various regions.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against all travel to Iran, warning that British nationals and those with dual British-Iranian citizenship are at 'significant risk' of arrest, questioning, or detention.
"We know where we stand and what we want, it's over to you to make this happen," Bennett said, urging the foreign office to act.
An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities. We're providing them with consular assistance and we remain in close contact with the family.'
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