Richard Ratcliffe: Government must act fast to help British couple held in Iran
Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been detained in the Middle Eastern country, which previously held Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe for six years.
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has said the Government must act “more promptly” than it did to help free his wife after Iran detained a British couple on a motorcycle journey around the world.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were reportedly held in January but the country’s state-run media revealed this week they had been accused of security-related offences.
Richard Ratcliffe said the dangers of travelling to the Middle Eastern country would be “a lot clearer” if Foreign Office travel advice reflected “the risks of hostage-taking” there.
Mr Ratcliffe, who went on hunger strike twice as part of his campaign for his wife’s release, said a court process may soon come “to get the Government’s attention”.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested on April 3 2016 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran after a holiday visit.
She was ultimately released and returned to the UK six years later after the UK agreed to settle a historic £400 million debt dating to the 1970s.
Mr Ratcliffe told the PA news Agency: “My heart goes out to them, and I hope they are not in for a long ordeal, and that the Government is able to respond more promptly than it did in our case.
“I do think the risks would be a lot clearer to people if the UK travel advice to Iran talked about the risks of hostage-taking.
“People would be more alert to the fact that it is not personal, and it doesn’t matter whether you have travelled there with a good heart.”
In an Instagram post, Mrs Foreman had acknowledged that travelling to Iran, against Foreign Office advice, was “slightly scary”.
“Yes, we’re aware of the risks. 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.”
The couple were ultimately heading for Australia, having crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30, according to social media posts.
Mrs Foreman was said to be carrying out a research project as part of the journey, asking people what constitutes a “good life”.
Mr Ratcliffe continued: “The top priority for the Government should be to make sure they get to visit and that they are not being kept in solitary.
“It will be important they do not feel alone. A court process may soon come. It’s not a real court. But it will be a form of brutal theatre to get the Government’s attention.
“And it will hurt much the same. I really hope they will be ok.”
The Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iran.
“Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you,” the guidance says.
The latest post on Mr Foreman’s Facebook page, from Isfahan in Iran, also on January 3, displays a number of selfies apparently showing the couple, along with the caption: “What a wonderful place”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing consular assistance to two British nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities.”
