A Brit has called on the UK government to 'come out and defend' his parents who are preparing to spend Christmas behind bars in Iran.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman had embarked on an around-the-world motorbike trip before they were suddenly detained in January this year.The couple, from East Sussex, were taken into custody after being accused of security-related offences and later charged with espionage.
The Foremans, who deny the allegations, are currently locked up in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. It is expected that they will remain there over the festive period.
One man who previously spent eight months at the high-security jail explained he was 'not a normal person' upon his release, due to the alleged 'torture' he suffered there.
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Lindsay's son, Joe Bennett, has now spoken out about the 'sense of guilt' he is carrying over Christmas, as his mother is 'stuck in a cell' and unable to celebrate.
He told Sky News on Sunday (21 December) that she and Craig have both 'lost a lot of weight', revealing what kind of conditions they are living in.
"They're eating rice and gristle every day," Joe said. "They can't really exercise. It's overcrowded and cramped.
"It is extremely dirty. She's cooking, the kitchen's filled with rats. It is dire, to be honest with you, for them both."
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He claims to have only spoken to his mother just three times in around 11 months, who he says is also suffering with a skin condition due to the lack of ventilation in Evin prison.
Craig and Lindsay's loved ones have been working tirelessly to get them released, but have now spoken out about feeling 'frustrated' with the UK government's lack of support. Joe said he is desperate to get his parents back on British soil - however, he claims there's currently a 'stalemate'.
"There is this policy, it seems, to sit and wait and allow this judicial process which is, in my eyes, a complete circus, to play out," he said.
"We were told almost two months ago, when they last were in court, that a sentence would be passed in a couple weeks.
"We’re now two months down the line and nothing has happened. I keep saying that we need to be being more accountable as a government and speaking out.
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"They are accused of espionage, spying for the British state, and yet that same UK government won’t come out and defend them and say that they completely deny the allegations."
Joe suggested that the Foreign Office has indicated that the government doesn't want to appear as though it is meddling with the ongoing judicial process in Iran. However, he reckons that Brit politicians need to take action now.
"They’re not being accused of something like shoplifting, or a petty crime, they are being accused of espionage," Joe went on. "This is a state level charge of crime, and they need to be backing their UK citizens.
"That’s what I believe needs to be done - taking a stand and saying: 'This isn’t right, we do not agree with it, and we want our citizens home as soon as possible'.
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"It feels like they’re waiting for something. We’re at a bit of a stalemate right now - Iran are waiting for the UK to move, the UK are waiting for Iran to move, and stuck in the middle are my parents and us."
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns all British and British-Iranian nationals not to travel to Iran because of a 'significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention'.
In a statement, a FCDO spokesperson told LADbible: "We are deeply concerned by reports that Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged with espionage in Iran.
"We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities. The FCDO are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members."
Topics: Prison, UK News, World News, Iran
Olivia Burke