Two days before the US-Israeli strikes against Tehran, I spoke with my friend Lindsay Foreman. She is in the city’s formidable Evin Prison, and it was an emotional conversation for us both. Her voice was steady, but her fear was unmistakable. She and her husband, Craig, have spent more than 14 months arbitrarily detained on trumped‑up charges of espionage, victims of hostage diplomacy. They are weak from torture and malnutrition and uncertain about what each day may bring.
Lindsay and Craig are not headlines but ordinary people. They are not spies or insurgents, but friends and parents. Craig is an incredible carpenter, and Lindsay is a gifted coach and psychologist. She has dedicated her life to understanding what helps people flourish even in adversity. Craig, her rock, shares her belief in the goodness of people. They are the sort of couple our friends gravitate towards: adventurous, curious about the world and deeply devoted to one another.
Lindsay could easily be someone you know. In our group, she is the one who remembers birthdays, who connects strangers because she is certain they will get along. Our friends describe her as bold, brave and generous. One recalls spontaneous road trips and laughter across continents; another says Lindsay gave her the courage to start a business. During lockdown, she created an online well‑being community, so no one would feel alone. This is who she is.
“I was drawn to positive psychology at a time of my life when I had lost balance,” Lindsay told me. “We can so readily see the negative in things, whereas this is about seeing what is right, magnifying that, seeing it in others and creating a ripple effect of positivity that is genuine and authentic, not just a smiley face.”
Wanting to understand different perspectives from around the world, Lindsay had begun a simple project which involved sitting face‑to‑face with people and having conversations with them about their well‑being. “I was curious to know what living a good life means to people everywhere,” she explained. By the time they arrived in Iran, they had met and talked to hundreds of people, gathering insights.
When they were detained in January 2025, Lindsay and Craig had been travelling through Europe and Africa. They intended to continue through Asia and on to Australia, after a short passage through Iran. Lindsay and Craig entered the country on 30 December as tourists with visas, an approved itinerary and a guide. The Foreign Office had advised against travel to Iran, but thousands before them had entered and exited the country without incident at that time. Four days after their arrival, they were arrested and charged with espionage.
