The son of a British couple detained in an Iranian prison has appealed to Donald Trump for help, saying he has been 'let down' by the UK government. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, from East Sussex, were sentenced to 10 years in jail after their arrest in January 2025 while travelling through Iran on a global motorcycle trip.
The couple are being held in Tehran's Evin prison, which has been affected by the US-Israeli bombardment. Joe Bennett, Ms Foreman's son, said British consular staff did not inform his parents that they were leaving Iran a day before the conflict erupted, and he feels a profound sense of abandonment.
'My government has let me down,' Mr Bennett told The Telegraph. 'They are British citizens who appear to have been abandoned. They are in real and immediate danger.' He described dire conditions inside the prison, where his parents have allegedly been separated, held in solitary confinement and denied legal representation.
Ahead of a visit to Washington to address the US Capitol, Mr Bennett said neither the prime minister nor the foreign secretary has responded to letters or a petition. He hopes Mr Trump may offer support. 'Donald Trump is a father and he has a family. I am sure he loves them deeply. And that is the reason I appeal to him to help us get them out,' he told the newspaper.
Mr Bennett, 31, will address the US Capitol on Thursday during the Transatlantic Conference on Hostage-Taking and Arbitrary Detention. 'The US is actively bringing their hostages’ names up in all high-level international discussions, and the UK should be doing this for my parents, too,' he said.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'The welfare of British nationals detained in Iran is a priority for this government… We continue to provide consular assistance to them and their family.'
