By Fiona Espinoza-Castro
Staff Writer
Two British nationals are facing espionage charges after being taken into custody by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps last month during a “round-the-world” motorbike trip, according to the Sunday Times.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman, the charged couple, allegedly ignored several warnings not to travel to Iran. They called their trip “people-to-people, knee-to-knee.” Both in their 50s, the two work in their own respective fields; Lindsay is a life coach with a doctorate in psychology, while Craig is a carpenter, according to the Sunday Times.
On Dec. 30, the Foremans crossed the Armenian-Iran border and were scheduled to reach Pakistan by Jan. 4. The New York Post reported that the couple wanted to complete their trip later this year in Australia, but those plans have now been halted.
According to The Guardian, the Iranian judiciary alleges the Foremans were gathering information in different locations across the country. Their British passports, as well as their United Kingdom connections, were “reason enough” for this incident to occur.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have a recent history of detaining foreigners and dual nationals on espionage charges and other security-related charges, according to Al Jazeera. The Foremans were also accused of “cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries.”
Following this incident, the British government issued a red travel warning, urging its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran. According to the New Arab, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office expressed concern that British citizens would face risks while “traveling to or residing in Iran.” The FCDO also intends to discuss this case directly with Iranian authorities and provide assistance to the Foremans’ families.
Although the Foremans were aiming to promote “positive psychology” through their motorbike journey, they entered the country on a tourist visa. According to the New Arab, Iranian state media reported that the Foremans participated in “covert activities under the disguise of research and investigative work.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the Foremans were aware of the warnings not to travel to Iran beforehand, but chose to proceed with their trip. The Foremans had been documenting their motorbike journey on social media, sharing videos and photos on platforms such as Facebook.
One of Lindsay’s facebook captions mentioned the caution of traveling to Iran, calling it the “slightly scary – sections of our journey: Iran and Pakistan,” reported the South China Morning Post. Despite being aware of the risks, the couple believed that no matter where one is in the world, most people are kind and helpful. They saw the greatest advantage of traveling as the opportunity to meet new people across cultures.
Former UK neighbors of the Foremans expressed their disbelief of the charges the “normal family” is facing. According to the New York Post, the Formans had moved from East Sussex, England, to an area in the Andalucia region of Spain back in 2019. A former neighbor described the Foremans as “sporty and adventurous,” who had been on “loads of adventures.”
Lindsay’s mother, Jennifer Rutland, claimed that the espionage charges were made up by those higher up in the chain of command, according to the Sunday Times.
“They’re being held for espionage. That’s nothing like her,” Rutland said. “She was going just to get views of what life is like.”
