Travel News
Britons warned not to visit Iran ‘because it looks cool on Instagram’ as couple charged with espionage - INDEPENDENT
BY Tara Cobham
Britons have been warned by a senior MP not to holiday in Iran “because they think it looks cool on Instagram” after a British couple were detained in the country.
Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns issued the travel warning after Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested while on a round-the-world motorcycle trip and charged with espionage.
The former chair of the foreign affairs committee told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday: “The priority is people need to listen to the travel advice. It is not safe for British nationals, most certainly not dual nationals, to travel to Iran.
“I beg anyone who is thinking of doing it, either because they think it looks cool on Instagram, or because it’s a country that – look, I would love to visit as well, beautiful people – please do not go. The risks are really high – you don’t have to have a reputation or a history or an Iranian passport as well to be at risk. Please do not travel.”
Ms Kearns, who led the foreign affairs committee’s report into the UK’s response to hostage-taking, called for specific information to be added to the travel advice page for every country on whether there is a high risk of arbitrary detention there, as was advised by her inquiry – “because unfortunately it’s not even countries you would think of where there’s a risk”.
She added: “Unfortunately, British nationals are at the top of the pile when it comes to authoritarian states wanting to take people hostage.”
Mr and Mrs Foreman, both in their early fifties, were arrested last month and are being held in custody in Kerman, central Iran, after crossing into the country from Armenia around 30 December.
The pair say there were trying to reach Australia for a psychology research project, asking people what constitutes a “good life”, and planned to reach Pakistan by 4 January – whereas Iranian authorities allege they have been “collecting information in different locations in the country”.
Ms Kearns dismissed Iran’s accusations of espionage “almost completely implausible” and argued the couple have instead been taken hostage to be used for geopolitical leverage by the country, “because what they do is they weaponise people’s passports against them”. She said Iran took 66 foreign nationals hostage between 2010 and 2022.
However, she caveated that the UK do not truly know why the couple have been taken. She speculated: “It might be the callous stockpile that Iran likes to keep of foreign nationals, just like Putin has done in Russia, it could be for a specific leverage they want over the UK, it could be leverage they want over Trump and they think they can get through us, or it may be because Iran is feeling weakened because of the attacks and essential defeat of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in so many places.”
The MP urged Keir Starmer “to be doing everything he can personally to get them out”, warning action must be taken soon due to the narrow window of opportunity that exists, usually before a trial has begun, during which people have the best chance of getting out of hostile states.
A British husband and wife who were detained in Iran have been charged with espionage, the Iranian judiciary is reported to have said.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were on a motorcycle journey around the world when they were detained in January.
An Iranian judiciary spokesperson told the country's Mizan news agency on Tuesday that the couple had "collected information" in several provinces of the country under the guise of being tourists.
The spokesperson added that the two British citizens were arrested "during a series of co-ordinated intelligence operations and while collecting information in Kerman city".
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The Foremans were ultimately heading for Australia, having crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30, according to social media posts.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - which advises against all travel to Iran - has been approached for comment.
Its guidance says: “Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you,”
The couple had shared regular social media updates from the Middle Eastern country.
“To put your minds at rest, we are having the most amazing time in Iran,” they posted on Facebook on January 3.
On Instagram, Mrs Foreman acknowledged that travelling to the Iran, against Foreign Office advice, was “slightly scary”.
She added: “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.
“From the vast deserts of Iran to the towering peaks of Pakistan, we hope to share the beauty, hospitality, and humanity that often go unnoticed.”
British citizens have previously been held by the Iranian regime.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, who are dual British-Iranian citizens, were released in March 2022 after being detained for several years in Iran.
