British Couple detained in Iran

Went to Iran in 1978 as my brother was working there. Beautiful country, Isfahan is stunning. However, I was so relieved to fly home as there was an undercurrent of discontent and my brother escaped via Jordan the following year when the Shah was deposed . My point is, you really don’t go to a country which is as volatile as Iran is and has been for almost 50 years. It is really irresponsible behaviour and causes major headaches for the Government of the day.

I remember at the time thinking Nazanin, an Iranian woman was extremely foolish to ignore the advice not to travel from the Foreign Office.
Yes it was understandable that she wanted her parents to meet her baby but
being Iranian, she would have been more aware than anybody of the risks she and her baby were taking.

Likewise I am struggling to have any sympathy for this latest couple.

Rosie51

Doodledog compassion is apparently dependent on not doing foolish/stupid/dangerous acts (*delete as appropriate)

Oh, well, mercy then?

There must be some really perfect people posting on this thread.

My thoughts exactly

How often clever people lack basic common-sense. Not a lot of sympathy from me, unfortunately.

If they’ve taken out a travel insurance policy before leaving the uk it will not cover any expenses they may incur as most insurance policies don’t cover if you travel against FO advice. Not wise at all.

Rosie51

Wibblywobbly

I would have thought the British government has discharged all its duties towards this couple by warning them not to travel there. What has it got to do with the British taxpayer and why should we spend a penny bailing them out?

Did you feel the same about Nazanin ? Should we not have done everything we could to get her home? She knew there was a risk going to see her family, and was advised not to go.

Nazanin's case was different. She had travelled to and from Iran using her Iranian passport several times before she went in March 2016 and her arrest in April 2016.

Before 2019 the Foreign Office advice was to travel there with caution and avoid some areas but there was not a general do not travel advice.

That changed in 2019 to a do not travel as there is a risk of British Nationals being arrested and detained.

Rosie51

Wibblywobbly

I would have thought the British government has discharged all its duties towards this couple by warning them not to travel there. What has it got to do with the British taxpayer and why should we spend a penny bailing them out?

Did you feel the same about Nazanin ? Should we not have done everything we could to get her home? She knew there was a risk going to see her family, and was advised not to go.

Did Nazanin travel round interviewing people about what constitutes a good life?

Yet Nazanin, there to introduce her child to the grandparents and with dual nationality, was arrested and imprisoned on a trumped-up charge.

Surely they knew that? So even more reason not to travel there.

I hope this couple are released but I can't feel sorry for them.

Darwin award for her

Chocolatelovinggran

I share your concerns about local people potentially being in trouble for speaking to this couple Bowdie.
In 1990 Farzad Bahtof, an Iranian journalist living in Britain was executed after a one day trial found him guilty of spying.
He did take risks, photographing the site of an explosion in a factory, when told that this had not happened. The young woman who drove him around received a sentence of sixteen years, and there were rumours of reprisals against others who spoke to him.

I agree.

I hope they haven't put any of their guides in danger.

Naïve? No, not naïve because they knew the risks and knew Foreign Office advice was not to travel to Iran. Arrogant and selfish, yes.

According to news reports Mrs Foreman was said to be carrying out a research project as part of the journey, asking people what constitutes a "good life".

She was due to present her findings at a conference on positive psychology in Brisbane in July, the BBC reported.

It's obvious that she is not stupid but that was a very foolish thing to do.

FCDO advises against all travel to Iran. British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.

Not difficult to understand, surely?

Wibblywobbly

I would have thought the British government has discharged all its duties towards this couple by warning them not to travel there. What has it got to do with the British taxpayer and why should we spend a penny bailing them out?

Did you feel the same about Nazanin ? Should we not have done everything we could to get her home? She knew there was a risk going to see her family, and was advised not to go.

Doodledog compassion is apparently dependent on not doing foolish/stupid/dangerous acts (*delete as appropriate)

Compassion for our fellow humans?

I would have thought the British government has discharged all its duties towards this couple by warning them not to travel there. What has it got to do with the British taxpayer and why should we spend a penny bailing them out?

I share your concerns about local people potentially being in trouble for speaking to this couple Bowdie.
In 1990 Farzad Bahtof, an Iranian journalist living in Britain was executed after a one day trial found him guilty of spying.
He did take risks, photographing the site of an explosion in a factory, when told that this had not happened. The young woman who drove him around received a sentence of sixteen years, and there were rumours of reprisals against others who spoke to him.

Sarnia

karmalady

entitled and as thick as two short planks

no doubt they will be held for a ransom

And their family and friends will have the nerve to set up a Just Giving page expecting others to pay for their stupidness.

Would you not do anything in your power to rescue your family from a situation like this? Maybe you wouldn't, as you see it as a 'nerve' to do so, but I know I would, regardless of whether or not I approved of their actions.

When we lived in the Middle East my husband worked in Iran, Syria, Saudi, Egypt etc, etc, and even back in the 70s/80s it was risky for companies to send staff to Iran. Decades on, everything is even more risky. The couple should never have ventured there.

They could have harmed locals. It’s well known by people who travel to authoritarian countries ha typu don’t ask local people any questions which could put the local person in danger. Looking at some of the questions hey were asking, they clearly were soliciting very dangerous answers from local- which can get the locals arrested and worse,

HousePlantQueen

I think it rather harsh to call them, or anyone actually, 'thick as too short planks'. This couple were certainly foolish, irresponsible, but I don't think they are 'thick'. As to the comments about their finances in the UK with Buy to Let Properties (allegedly), what on earth has that got to do with anything?

Some posts on here are rather gleeful at the predicament this couple has got into, whether it was their own fault or not. To my mind, they were naive, idealistic, but that is the worst I can accuse them of.

Excellent post, I couldn't agree more.
I hope against hope that none of their family members are reading this thread.

I have no sympathy for a couple daft enough to go to Iran. The Foreign Office warn people about going there.

Personally I wouldn't have taken one of my babies to a dangerous country to meet grandparents. In fact I didn't when I'd booked flights to Belfast to take baby to meet ex RUC police officer grandfather when a bad spate of bombings and shootings started. On the other hand as an adult I went behind the iron curtain to visit friends. I was working for the police at the time and special branch warned me to take nothing showing my police connections and if I got arrested to definitely not mention it. I had a choice, baby didn't. Nazanin made a different choice but I don't think that means this couple were anymore foolish than she was.

The dual nationality thing not being recognised is a bit of a redherring as you are warned that when in your other country the FO can't do much for you.

theworriedwell

Depends how you look at things I suppose for me taking a young child is more irresponsible. Didn't that little girl end up living in Iran with neither of her parents with her for years?

Ms Radcliffe's position was completely different. She was taking her daughter to meet her grandparents, in Iran. Nazanin had joint nationality, Iranian and British, but her problems were compounded by the Iranian authorities refusing to recognise her dual nationality. The problems were worsened by the idiotic and incorrect statement made by then Foreign Secretary, one Boris Johnson. It's all in the public domain.

I don't feel sympathy for them either, they went ahead despite all the warnings. Of course we can't leave them there but the cost of repatriating them should be repaid by them personally. It's like people who go on holiday without taking out insurance and then expect Go Fund Me to stump up the money to fly them home. The people who donate money to these schemes (apart from the genuinely deserving ones) must have more money than sense.

I think it rather harsh to call them, or anyone actually, 'thick as too short planks'. This couple were certainly foolish, irresponsible, but I don't think they are 'thick'. As to the comments about their finances in the UK with Buy to Let Properties (allegedly), what on earth has that got to do with anything?

Some posts on here are rather gleeful at the predicament this couple has got into, whether it was their own fault or not. To my mind, they were naive, idealistic, but that is the worst I can accuse them of.

Depends how you look at things I suppose for me taking a young child is more irresponsible. Didn't that little girl end up living in Iran with neither of her parents with her for years?