British couple held in Iran over spy charges speak to family after 213 days
A British couple have finally been allowed to speak with their family for the first time in 213 days after being charged with espionage in Iran.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were detained in January after crossing from Armenia during their global motorcycle tour.
The pair deny the allegations, and their family insist they are not spies.
Their son Joe Bennett, of Folkestone, in Kent, revealed he had an eight-minute call with his mother – after not having confirmation if she was even alive.
He told the BBC: 'We laughed, we cried, and for a few brief moments, it felt like the weight of the past seven months lifted.'
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Mr Bennett said his parents were 'holding strong,' adding that they remain 'resilient, positive, and somehow, they are still smiling.'
He stressed that the call had been a 'real boost' for everyone, but said it was still a 'very traumatic time'.
During the phone call, it was revealed that Mr and Ms Foreman had been separated and were being held in what their son described as 'Iran's worst prisons'.
The couple have now been separated in two prisons (Picture: AFP)
He also told BBC Radio Kent that British officials saw his father was 'dishevelled and had lost a lot of weight'.
Meanwhile, his mother is not walking well due to the conditions inside the jail.
The update on their plight comes as the Iranian regime executed as many as 29 prisoners in just four days, including one woman.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises British and British-Iranian nationals, who are at significant risk of detention, not to travel to the Middle Eastern country.
A spokesperson said: 'We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran.
'We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities.
'We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.'
Iran hangs 29 prisoners in 4 days - who are they?
Iran's official news agency reported on Wednesday, August 6, the executions of Roozbeh Vadi, 40; Mehdi Asgharzadeh, 35; Ali Rajaei, 33; Reza Sharifzadeh, 35; and Mojtaba Izadi, 35. The last three were executed in Isfahan.
Tuesday, August 5, saw the executions of five prisoners: Ali Showkat, 34, in Saveh; Ali Hosseinpour, 35, and Mohammad Abakhti in Karaj; Farzad Yari in Malayer; and Jahanshah Iravani in Semnan.
On Monday, August 4, eight prisoners were hanged: Mohammad Golestani, 30; Bahman Pirouzaei, 30; Davoud Najibollahi, 40; and Reza Sarparast, 30, in Mashhad; Matin Shahbazzadeh, 24; Hessam Moloudi, 29; and Enayat Semsari, 36, in Tabriz; and Hamid Soroush in Nur.
On Sunday, August 3, 11 prisoners were executed: Meysam Joudi and Sajad Pourdanesh in Karaj; Eghbal Abdali in Ilam; Hassan Ramazani, 28, and a woman in Khorramabad; and five other prisoners whose names were announced in a previous statement.
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