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Six Months On, No Word From Detained British Couple in Iran

HRANA – Joe Bennet, the son of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, the British couple arrested in Iran about six months ago on espionage charges, has voiced concern over his parents’ situation, saying they have had no contact with him since their detention.

According to HRANA, quoting BBC Persian, Bennet said he learned of his parents’ arrest roughly six months ago and has not heard their voices since. He added that, based on what he has been told, his father and mother are being held “in a three-by-three-metre cell.”

In late February, Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated that the couple had been arrested by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence agents and were accused of “espionage.” The family rejects the allegation.

On February 13, 2025, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Kerman Province announced in a statement that Hugo Shorter, the British ambassador to Iran, met with the two security detainees at the prosecutor’s office in the provincial capital.

The 52-year-old couple were detained in Kerman about six months ago. They had entered Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip and intended to travel on to Pakistan after a few days.

Iranian authorities have arrested numerous foreign nationals in recent years on charges such as espionage or cooperating with hostile states. While some have been released after prolonged negotiations, human-rights organizations and several Western governments accuse Tehran of using these detentions as political leverage—an accusation Iranian officials consistently deny.