Brit Channel 4 stars detained in Iran on espionage charges ‘moved to separate prisons after being subjected to torture'
Husband and wife Craig and Lindsay Foreman have spent over half-a-year days in jail since being detained during a round-the-world motorbike trip.
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The Brits entered Iran despite being warned by the Foreign Office and their family to avoid passing through the notoriously strict state.
The couple, both in their 50s, were held back in January on unspecified espionage charges.
The Iranian government claimed they were 'posing as tourists' to gather intelligence against the Middle East nation.
The couple's worried family revealed that they hadn't had any direct contact with them since their initial incarceration.
And the Foreign Office said, until recent weeks, it couldn't confirm their whereabouts.
Now, it's thought the couple have been cruelly separated and moved from a security detention facility in Kerman, the Daily Mail reports.
Lindsay Foreman was recently transferred to Qarchak Prison, meanwhile her husband Craig was moved to Greater Tehran Prison, according to information obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
The two prisons are over 20 miles from one another.
The charity also claimed in a statement that during their detention in Kerman, the Brits were "'subjected to severe pressure and torture aimed at extracting forced confessions".
It added how their family has become understandably increasingly concerned and their well-being - especially considering the recent heightened tensions between Israel and Iran.
Brit brother & sister, 11 & 13, who drowned on Spain beach as dad tried to save them had begged for 'one last swim'
The pair first travelled into Iran from Armenia on December 30, and reportedly planned to leave by January 4, as they headed for Australia.
While in Iran they visited Tabriz, the capital Tehran, and Isfahan before staying in Kerman.
It was here where they were picked up by police and arrested.
At the time, the Foreign Office said the couples arrest had "caused significant concern".
The couple, who had previously been featured on Channel 4 's A New Life in the Sun, had ignored pleas from friends, family and the Foreign Office (FCDO) not to enter Iran.
FCDO guidance explicitly warns against all travel to the country, cautioning that British citizens could be arrested simply for their nationality.
Despite this, the pair acknowledged the extreme risk in a social media post on December 30.
It read: 'Despite the advice of friends, family, and the FCDO (which strongly advises against travel to Iran for British nationals), we've chosen to keep moving forward.
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'Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life. Yes, we're aware of the risks.
'We also know the rewards of meeting incredible people, hearing their stories, and seeing the breathtaking landscapes of these regions could far outweigh the fear.'
The UK government has been urged to act quickly to try and free the pair.
Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned in Iran for six years, urged officials to move faster than they did in her case.
He said: 'My heart goes out to them, and I hope they are not in for a long ordeal, and that the government is able to respond more promptly than it did in our case."
Brits 'face torture and years in hellhole jail' on 'fabricated' espionage charges
CRAIG and Lindsay Foreman could be left to languish in a hellhole jail for years, sources fear.
Insiders believe Iran's merciless leaders have made a "fabricated case" to use Craig and Lindsay as pawns in their sick game to get Western countries to give in to their demands.
United Against Nuclear Iran's (UANI) policy director Jason Brodsky told The Sun while they are unlikely to face execution, they could be jailed for years and face torture.
He said: "Iran uses hostage diplomacy as a means to extract concessions from Europe and the United States.
"Hostages have languished for years behind bars in Iran.
"The Iranian regime has executed dual-nationals previously, or those with Iranian citizenship in addition to American or European nationality.
"Since the Foremans do not have dual-nationality, an execution is unlikely but the danger of harm remains.
"The Iranian regime employs both psychological and physical torture methods depending on the situation."
Insiders and campaigners say it is likely the couple were arrested simply for being British.
It is feared they have been taken "hostage" to put pressure on the UK.
Hossein Abedini of the National Council of Resistance told The Sun: "All of these actions are aimed at gaining leverage from the country to which the hostages belong therefore, any verdicts could arise.
"This is a repetitive process that has occurred many times, but due to the concessions made by the West, the regime assesses this as a profitable business."
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Nigeria police deny say dem torture activist Omoyele Sowore
Nigeria police say dia arrest of former presidential candidate and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore no dey illegal, say dem no torture am while in detention. Dis dey come few hours afta dem release di activist afta dem detain am for two days. BBC News Pidgin bin report on Wednesday say di activist go honor police invitation, wen im reach di police headquarters, dem arrest and detain and no gree tok why dem detain for two days. For statement, police tok tok pesin Muyiwa Adejobi say dem follow all standard procedure to arrest and detain Sowore. E say di reason dem arrest di activist na based on credible allegations of cyberstalking and forgery plus oda offences wey dem dey investigate. Di statement read: "we grant am bail within di 48 hours wey dey for section 35 of di constitution. Im dey aware of di allegations against am, e go appear for court soon to answer for imsef". According to di statement, police actions on di mata dey guided by valid court order wey dem obtain. Video wey bin dey circulate online on Friday show Sowore with bandage on im hands. Posts for im social media handles claim say police attack and break im hand inside cell. Police however say di claim dey false and misleading, say di bandage bin dey di bag wey Sowore carry di day dem arrest am. E claim say wen di police IG see di trending pictures and videos online, e order investigation and send police doctors to check di activist but e no gree make di medical team attend to am. Meanwhile, Sowore enta social media early Saturday morning afta im release to tok say dem go continue dia movement, say police no get anytin on am, say dem just dey show personal vendetta on am sake of how im dey tok against dia oga. Im arrest draw attention of plenti groups, organisations and individuals including oda Nigeria presidential candidates like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi plus Amnesty International, Nigeria Labour Congress and im political party African Action Congress AAC. Dem condemn im continued arrest and harassment and demand for im release, say even if im commit any offense make dem carri am go court as law tok. Im supporters bin troop out for most police stations across di country to protest im detention. Who be Sowore Omoyele Sowore na journalist, human rights activist wey bin don follow contest for Nigeria presidential election. E don collect plenti arrest and detention over di years. Im be di RevolutionNow leader for Nigeria and Publisher of Sahara Reporters news platform. Nigeria govment bin arrest Sowore for August 2, 2019 say im commit treason. Dem later release am for 5 December afta e spend more dan 3 months for detention, only to re-arrest am inside court less dan 12 hours later. On 13 December, 2019, Attorney General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami bin take ova di case of Sowore from di country Department of State Service. Den on December 24, DSS release di publisher afta oga Malami write to di DSS say make dem release am. Dis latest arrest don add to plenti of him arrest timeline.
