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The family of British motorcyclists Lindsay and Craig Foreman left a meeting with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband urging immediate action after nearly two years of detention in Iran. They want the UK to formally declare their confinement arbitrary, offer full diplomatic protection and consider legal steps at the International Court of Justice.
What the family is pressing for
Joe Bennett, Lindsay’s son, described the encounter with the Foreign Secretary as personally engaging but not decisive. The family say they feel closer to their goal but remain impatient — the couple have now spent 664 days behind bars, the family notes, and a meeting alone will not free them.
Their requests include official recognition of arbitrary detention, extended consular and diplomatic protection, and a review of using international litigation — the route taken recently by France for its nationals held in Iran.
Post Salt publishes Bikernet weekly news for August 28, 2026
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How and where they were detained
The Foremans were touring by motorcycle when they entered Iran on 31 December 2024 with valid visas. They vanished on 3 January 2025 and, about six weeks later, Iranian state media reported their arrest on espionage allegations.
Both were later sentenced to ten years in a February hearing that lasted under three hours, according to the family, during which they were not allowed to present a defence. An appeal was dismissed at a hearing the couple were not permitted to attend. They are being held in Evin Prison.
Political and legal backing
Their case has drawn cross-party support in Westminster. Last week 49 members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs wrote to the Foreign Secretary backing the family’s position.
Yesterday’s meeting included legal representatives and several officials and MPs: Tony Vaughan KC, Dr Lauren Sullivan, Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty and the UK’s Envoy for Complex Consular Detentions, Alistair Burt.
Haydee Dijkstal, a barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers representing the Foremans, called the discussion “positive and productive” and said it had prompted a cautious hope that all available options would be explored to secure the couple’s return.
Welfare and consular access
There are continuing concerns about the couple’s health. Hunger strikes ended on 9 August after 93 days for Craig and 84 days for Lindsay, yet the family says basic supplies remain inconsistently delivered. Phone contact, which was cut off in May, has only partly resumed and is limited to one closely supervised call each week.
An FCDO spokesperson reiterated that the pair’s welfare is a top priority. Britain’s ambassador in Tehran, together with officials in London, has been providing consular assistance and has visited them in prison. The Foreign Secretary, the spokesperson said, has publicly described their incarceration as unjustified and outlined the UK’s efforts to secure their release.
Why this matters now
The family frames the meeting as a turning point only if it leads to concrete measures. Advocacy and legal avenues are being pursued in parallel, but no formal government decision on the family’s proposals has yet been announced.
Editorial view
For the Foremans’ relatives the slow pace is understandably frustrating. The situation is complex and diplomatically sensitive, so measured steps are necessary. Still, a first face-to-face meeting with the Foreign Secretary is a meaningful development and, if followed by decisive action, could mark the beginning of a path toward a resolution.
