A UK couple held in Iran on espionage charges appeared in a Tehran court with a state-appointed lawyer, their family said on Thursday.
Little is known about the fate of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52, who were arrested by Iranian authorities in early January in Kerman, central Iran. The couple had been travelling through the country on a round-the-world motorcycle trip when Tehran accused them of spying—allegations their family strongly denies.
According to new reports on Thursday, relatives said the couple were “unexpectedly brought before a court in Tehran on Wednesday with a state-appointed lawyer,” raising fresh concerns about their treatment. The family believes the proceedings do not amount to a fair trial.
Earlier this month, family members spoke to the couple by phone for the first time since their arrest. Just days before the call, they were informed that the pair had been transferred to separate prisons in and around Tehran, with Lindsay reportedly held in harsher conditions.
“It’s been more than three and a half months since Craig was last seen.” said Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett. “He had already lost weight by then. Now that he has no money and can only access the most basic food, I can only imagine the condition he might be in.” Bennett urged the British government to “act quickly,” and said the family has requested an urgent meeting with Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Legal organisations and families of other Western nationals detained in Iran accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as leverage to pressure Western governments.
