A British husband couple who were on a motorcycle journey around the world while arrested last month have been charged with espionage in Iran.
An Iranian judiciary spokesman, Asghar Jahangir, told the Mizan news agency in Tehran on Tuesday the couple had “collected information” in several parts of the country while posing as tourists.
Lindsay Foreman, a motivational speaker, and her husband Craig Foreman were heading for Australia and crossed into Iran from Armenia on Dec. 30, according to their social media posts.
They were detained by Revolutionary Guards in the city of Kerman, 300 miles southeast of Tehran, late last month.
Jahangir said the Foremans were detained, “during a series of coordinated intelligence operations and while collecting information in Kerman city.”
The couple, who are believed to be in their 50s, are accused of having links to intelligence agencies of “hostile countries.”
A British Foreign Office spokesman 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,” he added.
The guidance warns travel insurance will probably be invalidated in Iran and says, “Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
‘Aware of the Risks’
“Yes, we’re aware of the risks,” she wrote. “But 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.”On Jan. 3, she posted another message on Facebook, which said: “Travel continues to teach me that humanity’s core is shared: kindness, humility, and respect for one another. Sometimes, it’s the quietest moments that leave the loudest impressions.”
After that the Facebook page activity stopped, although it is not clear when the couple were detained.
The Foremans, who described their journey as “PP (positive people) K2K (knee-to-knee) motorbiking around the world” had also posted regularly on YouTube about their travels.
An Iranian tourist guide who appeared to be hosting the couple, said on the video, “Please don’t listen to media, come and discover Iran.”
Lindsay Foreman was carrying out a research project, asking people what constitutes a “good life,” and was due to present her findings at a conference on positive psychology in Brisbane in July.
Iran has a track record of detaining foreign nationals and accusing them of espionage, often releasing them in exchange for Iranians captured abroad, or other diplomatic rewards.
In March 2022, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, dual British-Iranian citizens, were released after being detained for several years in Iran.
In exchange for their release, Britain paid Iran a £40 million ($50.3 million) debt dating from the rule of the Shah of Iran in the 1970s.
The UK government accepted it should pay the “legitimate debt” for an order of 1,500 Chieftain tanks, which was not fulfilled after the shah was deposed and replaced by the Islamic regime.
