A British couple's dream motorcycle adventure around the world has turned into a nightmare, as they approach their first year imprisoned in Iran on what their family describes as ludicrous spying charges.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through the country. For months, their children had no information on their wellbeing or whereabouts, living in fear that they were dead.
A Birthday Behind Bars
Today, Lindsay Foreman celebrates her 53rd birthday from inside Tehran's notorious Evin prison, the same facility where Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was once held. She will not be celebrating with friends or family, but from a cell, separated from her husband Craig.
In a devastating development, both Lindsay and Craig have now begun a hunger strike. Their son, Joe Bennett, explained that his mother sees not eating as the only power she has left. He stated that after nearly a year in detention, his parents have lost all hope.
A Family's Agony and a Son's Letter
The family's torment was compounded by a long silence, eventually broken by a brief, 20-minute phone call—only the second contact they were permitted in over 300 days.
To mark his mother's birthday, Joe has written a powerful open letter, pleading for the world not to forget his parents. He describes his mum as a woman who lights up a room and celebrates life.
He contrasted last year's birthday, which Lindsay spent joyfully in Greece, with the grim reality of this year's milestone spent behind bars. The family says the couple have been to court several times but have not yet faced a formal trial.
Richard Ratcliffe, who campaigned for his wife Nazanin's release, told the Mirror that such an ordeal is profoundly isolating for the entire family, akin to them all entering solitary confinement.
Craig's son, Kieran, expressed his own helplessness, saying the situation makes him feel like he is falling down a pit and you can't get up.
A Plea for Action
In his letter, Joe Bennett writes of the over 300 days stolen from his family, moments they will never reclaim. He vows to fight not quietly, not politely, and not patiently for his parents' freedom.
He ends with a direct appeal to the public, asking them to stand with the family and help bring his mum and step-dad home before another birthday passes in captivity.
