Adventure gone wrong: Why a British couple on world motorbike trip is being held in Iran

A British couple who were on a motorcycle tour around the world has been detained in Iran. Identified by their family as Craig and Lindsay Foreman, the news of the pair being held in the West Asian country came to light last week.

The couple last posted on social media in early January. As per BBC, they had decided to be in Iran for just five days and were heading for Australia.

But then what went wrong? Let’s take a closer look.

British couple visits Iran

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 52, were on a motorbike trip across the world. Their social media posts reveal they crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30. They were supposed to be in Pakistan by January 4.

The British couple posted several updates from Iran, where they stayed in the cities of Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan, accompanied by a tour guide.

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They then reached Kerman in east-central Iran but never checked into their hotel there, according to the BBC report.

Lindsay Foreman, a life coach with a doctorate in psychology, was preparing for a research project as part of a positive psychology mission, asking people what makes up a good life, reported The Guardian.

On December 30, Lindsay Foreman posted that they were about to come across “one of the most challenging” parts of their trip, Iran and Pakistan.

The post read: “Despite the advice of friends, family, and the FCDO (which strongly advises against travel to Iran for British nationals), we’ve chosen to keep moving forward.

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“Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life.

“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 UK Foreign Office recommends against all travel to Iran, warning that “British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention.”

“To put your minds at rest, we are having the most amazing time in Iran,” the British couple posted on Facebook on January 3.

Lindsay Foreman shared a picture of herself on Instagram the same day meeting a cleric at a madrasa in Isfahan. She captioned the post, “Travel continues to teach me that humanity’s core is shared: kindness, humility, and respect for one another.”

She wrote on Facebook that day, “Despite differences in culture, language, and traditions, we’ve seen something beautifully universal: kindness, humour, hospitality – and a shared love of good food!”

Her husband Craig, a carpenter, talked about the “lovely people” of a “lovely country”.

As per BBC, the couple shifted from East Sussex to Andalucia, Spain, in 2019. They first found fame after featuring in an episode of Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun in 2022 to exhibit their life as expats.

A social media lull, then…

Craig and Lindsay Foreman’s last post on social media was on January 3. The tour guide with whom the couple were travelling told MailOnline he had “no information” and was “only a tourist guide and working with agencies”.

Last week, Iranian state media reported that two British nationals were arrested on suspicion of “security crimes.” They published a photograph of Britain’s ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, purportedly meeting the couple.

The faces of the pair were blurred in the image taken at the office of the prosecutor in Kerman, which is over 600 miles (about 966 km) east of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The published photo shows the meeting took place in the presence of Kerman prosecutor, Mehdi Bakhshi, and Kerman governor’s deputy for security and law enforcement, Rahman Jalal, reported The Guardian.

The couple’s family has responded to the arrest in a statement issued via the UK Foreign Office. Asking for privacy, the family said “the emotional burden of this situation weighs heavily on us … Thank you for your understanding, compassion, and continued support.”

The family said it was “actively engaging with the British government and relevant authorities, working diligently to navigate the complexities of this matter.”

It is not yet known for how long the couple has been captive in Iran. However, they were arrested in January.

A Foreign Office spokesperson earlier said: “We are providing consular assistance to two British nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Iran’s arrest of British citizens

Iran has long had a tense relationship with the UK, with a history of suspicion.

The West Asian country has often imprisoned foreigners and dual nationals over the last 10 years. According to human rights groups, the arrests of many of these foreign and dual nationals in Iran is its strategy to push for concessions from other countries, including prisoner swaps.

The UK Foreign Office warns British and British-Iranian dual nationals: “Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, both British-Iranian dual citizens, were released in March 2022 after being held for several years in Iranian prisons.

Aras Amiri, a 32-year-old art student who also holds dual citizenship, was arrested while visiting her grandmother on suspicions of espionage. She was released after three years in jail.

Abbas Edalat, a dual British-Iranian citizen, was released after spending several years in jail.

With inputs from agencies