British mother jailed in Iran alongside her partner ‘for spying’ is struggling so much she will only get out of bed to take her son’s phone call, he says

British mother and partner face 10-year jail terms in Iran for alleged spying

Parent-child phone calls are a common part of daily life in many homes, but for Joe Bennett, this simple act has become a battle for his mother’s survival. The 53-year-old Folkestone resident describes the three-beep dial as a lifeline to Lindsay Foreman, a British mother imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin Prison alongside her partner Craig for 10 years. The couple, both from East Sussex, are enduring harsh conditions in the overcrowded facility, which they claim is part of a strategy to erode their mental strength.

Foreman and Craig, who were arrested in Kerman, southern Iran, on January 3, 2023, are serving their sentence for espionage. They were on a round-the-world motorcycle journey to Australia when they were detained. Despite having valid Iranian visas, a local guide, and an approved itinerary, the couple was accused of spying for the UK and Israel. Their legal team and the British government argue the charges are unjust, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper labeling the verdict “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable.”

Struggles in confinement

Since their sentencing, Joe has observed a dramatic decline in their mental health. Daily conversations, which once lasted up to 20 minutes, have been reduced to as little as two minutes or even cut off entirely. This, he says, is a deliberate tactic to weaken their resolve. “Some days they can’t speak and there’s just an inability to function,” Joe explains. “When your mum is telling you she only gets out of bed to make a call, you’re worried sick.”

“Every day that passes is another day that chips away at all that resilience they have built up,” Joe tells the Daily Mail.

The couple’s morale is further tested by the abrupt removal of spousal visits. Originally planned weekly, these have been slashed to monthly, leaving them in emotional limbo. “They build themselves up for a week to two weeks to see each other and it is just pulled,” Joe notes, having left his tech sales job to campaign relentlessly for their release.

Broader context of detention

Foreman and Craig’s imprisonment coincides with the detention of British-Iranian activist Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in the same facility. Their separation into different wings adds to their sense of being used as diplomatic tools. The family believes the prison system is intentionally targeting them, creating a psychological toll in an environment where isolation is a weapon.

Joe plans to appeal to former President Donald Trump, feeling the UK has abandoned his family. “My government has let me down,” he says. “They are British citizens who appear to have been abandoned. They are in real and immediate danger.” The couple, who had intended to travel from Armenia to Pakistan via Iran, now face a bleak future as US-Israeli strikes intensify in the region, amplifying fears of their safety.