Brisbane bound British couple on world motorcycle tour detained in Iran
The life coach and her carpenter husband, riding from Europe to Brisbane, knew of the risks of travelling through Iran, but ignored family, friends, and the British government.
A British life coach and her carpenter husband, travelling by motorbike from Europe to Brisbane, in defiance of British government travel advice, have been detained en route in Iran.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, aged in their 50s were identified by family on Saturday as being the arrested couple paraded by Iranian media in Kerman, Iran, meeting with British ambassador Hugo Shorter several days ago.
Iranian media have reported the couple have been detained on unspecified security charges.
British citizens are warned not to travel to Iran because of the country’s history of using Britons as political hostages. Most recently Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in Iran from April 2016 and was only released six years later.
Mrs Foreman has been due to take part in the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) conference in Brisbane in July. She was a guest speaker at previous IPPA conferences where she was billed as pursuing “her passion for people transformation and human evolution’’.
Her year long travels to Australia on a motorbike with her husband was accepted for this year’s event, but not for a guest lecture speaker spot. Instead her travels were to be condensed into a promotional poster.
The couple had left their home in Spain several months ago and had crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30. They had planned to be in Iran for five days, and had stayed in Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan. On January 3 Mrs Foreman posted on social media “Despite differences in culture, language, and traditions, we’ve seen something beautifully universal: kindness, humour, hospitality – and a shared love of good food!” She posted a photo of her meeting a mullah, at the Madrasa Naseriyeh in Isfahan saying “I see you. I honour you. We are connected.”
However it appears that hours later before checking into their hotel in Kerman and before crossing into Pakistan, the couple were detained.
Mrs Foreman had posted about the risks of going into Iran and had spoken of the British travel advice not to go to Iran.
On 30 December, she wrote about facing one of the most challenging parts of their trip, Iran and Pakistan.
“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,’’ she posted.
“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.” In another post she acknowledged that her family and friends were worried about their route through Iran and Pakistan.
On Saturday the family of Mr and Mrs Foreman said the unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern.
In a statement issued through the Foreign Office, the family said: “We are actively engaging with the British government and relevant authorities, working diligently to navigate the complexities of this matter. The family are united in our determination to secure their safe return. We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community, which has provided us with strength and encouragement as we face this ordeal.”
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