British woman detained in Iran 'losing hope'

Lindsay Foreman told son her last court hearing ‘had not gone well’

Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been detained in Iran on espionage charges since January. Photo: Family handout

A British couple detained in Iran have told their family they are now expecting a verdict rather than another court appearance after their last hearing “had not gone well”.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were taken into custody in January during a motorcycle tour around the world and were later charged with espionage.

The couple, of East Sussex, deny the allegations.

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Ms Foreman’s son Joe Bennett said he had recently spoken to his mother for the second time since she was detained, after she was permitted a 20-minute call from prison on Thursday.

“There was very little my mother could say. Her spirits were low," Mr Bennett said.

“She told me that a further recent court appearance last week had not gone well.

“We had been told to expect a verdict rather than another appearance. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I could feel she’s losing hope.”

The family previously said they were "relieved" she had been transferred to Tehran's Evin Prison after two months in a jail where several women died. Mr Bennett said he hoped she would receive “slightly better treatment”, despite its reputation for brutal conditions.

Joe Bennett describes the approach of the UK government to his parents' case as 'deeply concerning'. AFP

The detained couple’s family met Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this month, but Mr Bennett described the approach of the UK government as “deeply concerning”.

“Right now, it feels like each side is waiting for the other to move first," he said.

"The British are waiting for a sentence before acting. The Iranians are deciding what sentence to hand down.

“And in the middle of this diplomatic stalemate are my parents, innocent people caught between two systems moving too slowly.”

Mr Bennett added the ordeal "feels like living a nightmare, one we can’t wake from".

“The horizon for their freedom feels hard to see, but with public support, I still believe we can get there,” he said.

The Foreign Office warns all British and dual UK-Iranian nationals not to travel to Iran because of a “significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention”.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.