Son calls for Iran prisoner exchange for British pair

The lad of a British mates jailed successful Iran has called for a captive speech to beryllium explored to unafraid their release, arsenic the brace stay connected hunger strike.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, from East Sussex, person been held since January 2025 and were sentenced to 10 years successful February connected espionage charges which they deny. An entreaty was rejected, the household said.

Linday Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, said deporting an Iranian nationalist held successful the UK could unafraid their release, and is asking wherefore this is not being explored for his parent and step-father.

The Foreign Office - which has been asked for a remark - antecedently said it was disappointed astir the entreaty and would proceed moving for their return.

On the projected captive swap, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told Sky News "arrangements tin beryllium made of that kind, but the specifics connected this would not beryllium right. And I'm not definite from what I've heard that this is… credible".

The justness caput added helium could not spell into item connected the lawsuit due to the fact that it would "undermine the discussions that we're having with the Iranians".

Bennett, from Folkestone successful Kent, said the household had constricted interaction with the mates and described accusation astir their lawsuit arsenic "very, precise fractured".

He said the hunger onslaught was present the family's "biggest concern", adding that Craig Foreman was connected time 30 of the protestation portion Lindsay Foreman was connected time 21.

Bennett said determination appeared to beryllium "a precise large interest" from Iran successful the idiosyncratic successful situation successful the UK, adding that if the attack was not being pursued, the household wanted to cognize what different solutions were being considered.

Bennett said the antheral had been successful a maximum information situation successful the UK for 23 years and claimed "there was a constituent successful clip that they were consenting to fto this feline go".

He said it was the archetypal motion of a solution for 18 months, but the authorities had "seemingly sat connected their hands".

On his parent and step-father's ordeal, helium said: "As the days spell on, and the deficiency of interaction continues, we are highly disquieted astir however they are mentally, physically, going to cope."

He said getting them location was astatine the halfway of everything the household was trying to do.

After the couple's entreaty failed, the lawsuit passed to Iran's Supreme Court, helium said, describing the ineligible process arsenic "opaque".

Richard Ratcliffe, whose woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was antecedently detained successful Iran, said specified cases were often utilized to nonstop governmental signals.

He said the Foremans were "caught successful a combat betwixt 2 governments" and described the ineligible process arsenic "theatre", suggesting its timing could beryllium significant.

Mr Ratcliffe said erstwhile detainees spell connected hunger onslaught it tin awesome desperation and a nonaccomplishment of religion successful some governments.

The Foremans were arrested portion travelling done Iran arsenic portion of a round-the-world motorcycle travel and person been held since then.

The authorities has antecedently described the couple's 10-year sentences arsenic "completely appalling and wholly unjustifiable".

In a erstwhile statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: "Since their apprehension past year, Britain's ambassador to Tehran, diplomats and officials successful London person been moving to supply consular assistance.

"This includes the ambassador visiting them successful situation and facilitating calls with their household backmost successful the UK."

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