Concern after British couple detained in Iran 'suddenly whisked' to courtroom

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A British mates detained successful Iran person been "suddenly whisked" to a courtroom successful the country's capital, Tehran, their household person said.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested successful January during a round-the-world motorbike travel and were aboriginal charged with espionage - allegations the mates deny.

Their son, Joe Bennett, said the household were informed the pair, from East Sussex, appeared successful tribunal successful Tehran connected Wednesday with a "state-appointed lawyer they lone conscionable met".

"We cannot spot however [this] could beryllium considered to beryllium a just trial," helium added.

Mr Bennett's household said they are "deeply concerned" that they had nary anterior cognition of the proceeding being organised oregon carried out.

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British mates detained successful Iran allowed to telephone home

Earlier this month, the mates spoke to their household for the archetypal clip successful 7 months. They aboriginal said they were "seriously worried" astir them aft they were moved to 1 of Iran's "harshest prisons".

Through their adviser, Radd Seiger, the household person present requested a gathering with Foreign Secretary David Lammy to guarantee efforts are made to unafraid the couple's instrumentality to the UK arsenic urgently arsenic possible.

Mr Bennett said the latest tribunal update has raised the family's concerns astir their well-being.

"The ambassador was owed to sojourn Craig yesterday but that did not happen," helium said.

"We are not definite if the ambassador went and Craig was not determination due to the fact that helium was whisked distant to court.

"This is profoundly worrying, due to the fact that it has been good implicit three-and-a-half months since Craig was past seen.

"At that time, helium had already mislaid weight.

"Now, with nary funds and nary entree to nutrient beyond the bare minimum, I tin lone conjecture astatine however helium indispensable be."

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The household said they understood Lindsay Foreman had been seen by ambassador Hugo Shorter connected Wednesday and "provided with a comfortableness battalion of indispensable supplies".

Mr Bennett said the deficiency of transparency implicit the tribunal proceeding "only deepens our concern".

"We cannot spot however being abruptly whisked into a courtroom with nary warning, with a state-appointed lawyer they lone conscionable met, could beryllium considered to beryllium a just trial," helium said.

"At slightest they saw each other, which indispensable beryllium immoderate relief.

"Craig has present been successful Evin Prison for 25 days without entree to funds.

"In Iran's situation system, detainees indispensable trust connected wealth credited to their accounts to bargain food, cleanable water, and hygiene products.

"The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has truthful acold been incapable to transportation wealth into Craig's account, leaving him without the essentials needed to survive.

"The deficiency of transparency lone deepens our concern."

The FCDO has warned each British and British-Iranian nationals not to question to Iran owed to a "significant hazard of arrest, questioning oregon detention".