The son of a British couple held in Iran on espionage charges wants the UK government to say publicly that they are not involved in spying in a step change to its work to free the pair.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in the Iranian city of Kerman during a motorcycle trip around the world and were later charged with espionage.
The couple deny the allegations and had their second court hearing October. Mrs Foreman is being held in Evin prison, near Tehran.
In a statement, a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said it was maintaining lobbying efforts with the Iranians to free the couple. “We are deeply concerned by reports that Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged with espionage in Iran," it said.
“We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities. The Foreign Office are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”
Joe Bennett, the son of Mrs Foreman, has said the government needs to go further with a recognition the pair “not being accused of something like shoplifting, or a petty crime, they are being accused of espionage”. Mr Bennett has now called on the UK government to publicly defend the couple, with an explicit statement on the espionage charge.
“They’re being accused of espionage for the UK government," he said. "It is a state-level accusation, it’s the highest level of accusation that you can have and yet their own government aren’t coming out and defending them, and denying the allegations against them, which I just find bizarre.
“They know they’re not spies, they don’t work for the UK government and yet we’re not defending them.” Mr Bennett said the case is “just being kicked down the road – it isn’t a fair process”.
He added: “Something’s got to change. Once we take a stance as a nation and a government, and call it for what it is, which is arbitrary detention, hopefully there are mechanisms that can be unlocked at that point in order to move the dial. The end goal is getting them home. We need to get closer to that."
A poem composed by Mrs Foreman and read out to her son on the phone was broadcast on Monday, marking the first time her voice has been heard since she was detained.
Mr Bennett said the couple are being held in “unimaginable conditions” in the prison. He said they are not being given enough food and that there are “rats and vermin running around”.
Iranian authorities say footage shot by the couple is proof that they were spies, but their family say they were merely making a film about happiness.
They filmed interviews with people they met during their travels through Iran in which they asked them what makes for a happy life. The couple planned to show their film at a psychology and wellness conference in Australia, the last scheduled stop on their motorcycle trip around the world.
