Mother of Brit detained in Iran during round-the-world motorbike trip says espionage charges are 'made up'
19 February 2025, 12:03
The mother of a British woman who is being detained in Iran has claimed the espionage charges her daughter has been hit with are entirely "made up".
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Lindsay Foreman and her husband Craig Foreman, both in their 50s, were charged on Tuesday, according to Iranian media.
A spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary said they "were monitored with the cooperation of security agencies and arrested", the Mizan news agency reported. The pair have been detained in the Islamic Republic since January while on a motorcycle tour around the world.
Jennifer Rutland, Mrs Foreman’s mother, told The Telegraph: “They’re being held for espionage. That’s nothing like her – she was going just to get views of what life is like.
“She did a psychology degree at uni, so she wants people to have a better life and she was going out to try and find how people were living and how she could give them a better life and what she could do.”
Read more: Did motorbike couple's 'happiness' survey prompt arrest on spying charges in Iran?
Read more: British couple on round-the-world motorbike adventure charged with espionage by Iranian authorities
The worried mother said the couple had been warned by relatives against travelling to Iran.
“Family members told them not to go to Iran because they knew it was dangerous. But because I never intended on visiting I hadn’t a clue,” she said.
Ms Rutland added: “We know what charges, but they’re made up charges – so it’s people higher up than me that are going to do the nitty-gritty of trying to get someone to do something, having meetings.”
FCDO guidance explicitly warns against all travel to the country, cautioning that British citizens could be arrested simply for their nationality.
Despite this, the couple acknowledged the extreme risk in a social media post on December 30.
They posted: “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.
“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.”
Last Thursday Iranian state-run media reported they were being held on unspecified security charges.
A statement, translated from Persian, said: "The individuals entered Iran under the guise of tourists and, under the guise of investigative and research work, have collected information in several provinces of the country."
It claimed that "these individuals were cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries under the guise of research and investigation activities".
"According to the observations of intelligence and security institutions, the connection of these individuals with several institutions affiliated with intelligence services has been confirmed, and additional investigations are ongoing in this regard," the news agency said in a post online.
A statement previously issued by the Foreign Office on their family's behalf, read: "This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are deeply focused on ensuring their safety and well-being during this trying time."
