A British couple found on a motorcycle tour around the world was held in Iran, the British Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The couple, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, were last heard in social media in early January. But this week, Iranian state media reported that two British nationals had been suspected of “security crimes”.
The British Foreign Ministry confirmed their detention after the Iranian reports and issued a statement on behalf of the couple’s family.
“This unexpected series of events has raised significant concern for our whole family and we focus deeply on ensuring their security and prosperity during this trial period,” the family said.
Mr and Mrs Foreman, and in the mid -1950s, were on a motorcycle tour in Australia, where Ms. Foreman was forced to deliver a document to a conference on psychology. They reside in Spain, where Ms Foreman worked as a psychologist and life coach, and Mr Foreman as a carpenter.
The couple’s detention came to light for the first time when Iranian state media published a photo of the British ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, met with two British citizens accused of “security crimes”.
The Iranian state -owned media blurred the couple’s faces in the picture, taken at the prosecutor’s office in Kerman, a city over 600 miles east of the capital of Tehran.
In her statement, the family stated that “it is actively involved with the British government and the competent authorities, who work diligently to browse the complexities of this issue.”
It is not clear how long the couple have taken place in Iran. Prior to their detention, the Foremans shared their travels to the social media. They were recently published on January 3, saying it was in Iran.
“To put your mind on rest, we have the most amazing time in Iran,” the couple said in a facebook position, adding that they were traveling with a guide. On Instagram, Ms Foreman posted a photo of herself who met a theologian at a Madrasa on Isfahan, where she wrote that “travels continue to teach me that the core of mankind is sharing”.
The couple had passed to Iran from Armenia and planned to head to Pakistan then, they said.
“The UK government advises against all basic trips to these areas and the news paints a beautiful gloomy image,” they posted on Facebook on December 30. “We want to know about ourselves. That’s why we’re here.”
The post included two pictures side by side: one of the orange and yellow Iran of the Foreign Ministry, advising British citizens not to travel to Iran and another of the green glass of a mosque, a picture of which was located in Norduz , near the border of Iran with Armenia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises all trips to Iran, issuing a warning that “British and British-Iranian double nationals are at a significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention.”
Iran has repeatedly imprisoned foreign and double nationals in the last decade, including an Iranian-American citizen and an Italian journalist held last year and an EU Swedish employee was arrested in 2023.
Several British-Iranian double citizens were among those who were arrested, including Nazi Zagari-Ratlalfe, who was held for six years. Aras Amiri, 32 -year -old art student. And Abbas Edalat, an academic and anti -butbicular activist. Ms Amiri was arrested while visiting her grandmother and accused of espionage, released after three years in prison and Mr Edalat was released after several months.
Human rights groups have stated that many of these bookings are part of a deliberate policy of exporting concessions from other countries, including prisoners’ exchanges.
