Craig and Lindsay Foreman end their hunger strike in prison in Iran.

Apparently it was going to be added to their existing property rental portfolio of several houses in England

Very interesting Nannee49
Thank you for that.

Were they selling their place in Spain or renting it out while they were off on their jaunts?

I'm afraid they have to accept responsibility for their plight. They made the sensible decision to ask the Foreign Office for advice about travelling through Iran and were told it was not a safe place to go and to avoid it and that was before the Iran/US war. They completely ignored this warning and went anyway. They did what tourists do, taking photographs and chatting to locals. That's fine in many places throughout the world but never in Iran. As things stand in the Middle East I cannot see anyone west of Tehran having much luck in freeing these two. Foolhardy and irresponsible in the extreme.

Tuliptree

You might say spiteful, I’d just say clear eyed and not full of sentimental claptrap and support for two selfish idiots - and it’s not just me who thinks this is it?

No it's not. I was discussing this with my partner. He said they were arrogant. They had more than enough information on not entering Iran from the FO. They ignored their adults childrens pleas. They also could have put the lives in danger of any Iranian people who helped them.
I hope they are released fron the Iranian prison soon as it is not as easy as our prisons, but I do not sympathise with them at all.

The Salt Path v2. Shall we cast the main roles now?

Well colour me staggered 😱

I don't know if anyone else on here saw this but a couple of months ago I was watching the tail end of an old rerun episode of A New Life in the Sun.

There was a couple on it who were closing up their house/business in Spain to go travelling on their motorbike but it all seemed a bit odd, the guy was nailing down a covering on the hot tub saying "that'll keep any body out" as if they were just locking up, getting off as quickly as possible and abandoning the place for a long while.

I've got quite a good memory for faces and I thought hmm going off to travel the world on a bike, they remind me of that couple locked up in Iran.

I Googled whether Craig & Lindsay Foreman had ever been on the programme and sure enough it was them.

It just seemed so odd and bizarre and they came across to me like a very determined, self centered couple almost escaping from something - instant impression, only having seeing the last bit of the programme.

All very strange and terrible for their children

You might say spiteful, I’d just say clear eyed and not full of sentimental claptrap and support for two selfish idiots - and it’s not just me who thinks this is it?

What a nasty spiteful post TULIP TREE.

I tried to include some facts and context in there, just got you Tuliptree! It becomes irrelevant as to why they did what they did. Possibly they might not know themselves. Hopefully they can,one day explain. Her son is supporting them and he will know them best. So I would only want them to believe they have hope.

BlueBelle

I don’t feel sorry for anyone who is so big headed they completely disregard government advice
However I feel very sorry for their families left behind, they must be incredibly worried and upset by it
I doubt they will be back for a very long time

My thoughts exactly. I feel very sorry for their families. This couple were arrogant beyond belief, thought they knew best.

But they put themselves in harms way. And if they cared about all those values, they could have been fighting for them rather than gallivanting across the world on a motorbike ignoring FO advice

The last 5 days of their hunger strike was about people standing together around values that should be universal. Truth, justice, kindness, peace and unity. Some prisoners in Evin jail joined them in those last 5 days as did Lyndsey's son and 4 others in the UK.. Initially the HS was in protest to phone calls to family being stopped following interviews with the BBC. I would think you'd take any opportunity to highlight your plight. They also wanted to deny the espionage charge. But the last 5 days was in support of all prisoners in Evin. So it is horrifically sad and from a humanitarian point of view I hope for their release and support.

Love means doing what you want does it and not caring one jot the consequences for those who love you? Not a definition of love I’d endorse. And I’m fully entitled to come to that conclusion on the evidence available. And it’s perfectly logical to feel sorry for the innocent victims in this sorry story.

Tuliptree

I don’t feel the slightest bit sorry for them They are utterly stupid and selfish and clearly do not love their children and other family members I really don’t care one jot about what happens to them but feel for those who love them

You are entitled not to feel even the tiniest bit of sympathy for them and not care what happens to them, but to declare they do not love their children and other family members displays monumental arrogance . Your sympathy for those that love them is in my opinion, performative, as that suffering would be eased if they were released.

Magenta8

nanna8

Couple of twits and unfortunately no one will really know or care what they do. First I’ve heard of them.

I am not no one and I care about them from a purely humanitarian point of view. I agree that what they did was foolish but that really is not the point. I don't think I am by any means alone in caring what happens to them.

I feel the same way Magenta8.

It’s often said that people on holidays or who go travelling lose their senses in a different climate and country.

It didn’t have to end like this, it really didn’t.
This couple could have had the most amazing trip with memories to last a lifetime if only they had been sensible and stuck to visiting safe countries.

After all, they’re not a couple of naive youngsters, they are middle aged parents with a grown up family who are worried sick about them.

Now of course presumably the government here will be expected to bail them out with whatever it takes.

Silvershadow

What a nasty thing to say Tuliptree. Honestly! Some people on this website are just beyond the pale really.

That’s a really silly post I don’t go in for faux emotion.

They had been allowed to phone their families, but in February they used these calls to give interviews to the British media

They dont seem to obey rules well.
They could be in Iran for a long time.

What a nasty thing to say Tuliptree. Honestly! Some people on this website are just beyond the pale really.

I don’t feel the slightest bit sorry for them They are utterly stupid and selfish and clearly do not love their children and other family members I really don’t care one jot about what happens to them but feel for those who love them

The Foremans were travelling round the world investigating what people though constituted a "good life". The findings of this research were to be presented at the end of their trip to a conference (in Australia I think).

They had visas and a guide when they entered Iran. Lindsay posted photographs of socialising in Iran (with Iranian academics - l do hope they are ok), and details of her project. This alerted the Iranian authorities and the Foremans were subsequently arrested and accused of spying, they were sentenced to 10 years. They maintain they were not spying.

They had been allowed to phone their families, but in February they used these calls to give interviews to the British media (BBC interview available online). Due to this the phone privilege was withdrawn, and thus they went in hunger strike. Craig's sentence was increased to 12 years due to the phone interviews.

Since stopping the hunger strike the pair have been allowed to see each other.

They made a huge mistake, naivity? Optimism? Stupidity? All three really but l wouldn't wish their current circumstances on any traveller.

As far as I remember, they were travelling through Iran but also talking to local people about what their lives were like there.
Not espionage but rather foolhardy under the circumstances.
It would be a relief if they are released but I feel more sorry for their family.

Nazanin's case was different, I felt desperately sorry for her and prayed for her release.

I wondered if they both were set on going there or if one did and the other went along with it. Whatever, a huge error of judgment and they’re paying for it now. Very sad.

This is what I can’t understand. The Nazanin case was always in the news, with her British husband fighting tirelessly to get her released, and Nazanin is an Iranian woman, who had gone home with her small child to visit her elderly parents.
She ended up in prison for years on some trumped up charge, so why didn’t this couple bear that in mind when they were planning their route and deciding which countries to visit?