‘We laughed, we cried’: Family speak to British detainees in Tehran for first time

Lindsay Foreman's son relieved to hear mother's voice after seven months of detention

Craig and Lindsay Foreman at Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran, days before they were arrested by Iranian authorities. Photo: Family handout / AFP

The family of a British couple detained in Iran have been able to speak to their parents for the first time in more than 200 days.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are in separate prisons in Tehran as they await trial on espionage charges, spoke to their children in the UK on Wednesday.

The couple from East Sussex were on a motorcycling trip around the world when they were detained in Kerman, a city in eastern Iran, in January.

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The family had had no contact with the couple since then and were frustrated with the lack of information about their whereabouts and well-being.

“For 213 days, we waited. Hoped. Held our breath,” said Joe Bennett, Lindsay’s son. "And today, we finally got those phone calls. We finally heard their voices. After seven long months with no direct contact, we can now say what we’ve been desperate to say all this time: Lindsay and Craig are alive."

Mr Bennett said he spoke to his mother for less than 10 minutes. “We laughed, we cried and for a few brief moments it felt like the weight of the past seven months lifted.

“Craig and my mum both shared that they are holding strong. They’re resilient, they’re positive and somehow, they’re still OK.”

Kieran Foreman, Craig’s son, said the call was a “massive relief". He added: “It brings us back up from the hole of despair we have been in – climbing back up from the depths of darkness. Just hearing his voice gives me hope."

Yet the relief is overshadowed by the reality behind the detention and the uncertainty of what comes next.

Joe Bennett has spoken of his relief after finally receiving a phone call from his mother, Lindsay. AFP

The couple were moved to separate prisons in Tehran last week and the family only learned of their whereabouts on Monday. Their last consular visit was in May.

“While it was amazing to hear their voices, we must also keep our eyes firmly on the real issues,” Mr Bennett added. “Lindsay and Craig still haven’t had a consular visit in months. The British government has still not recognised them as hostages, nor has it indicated what it intends to do to secure their release.

"That ongoing silence remains deeply concerning.”

There are also concerns about the poor conditions and human rights record of the prisons where they are being housed.

Mr Bennett's mother is now in Qarchak, a women's jail known for overcrowding and poor sanitation, while Craig is being held in Fashoufayeh, also known as Borzog Prison. They are among Iran’s worst prisons, Mr Bennett said.

Evin Prison, the capital’s most infamous jail for political prisoners, was evacuated after it was struck by Israeli missiles in June.