British Couple detained in Iran

Arxtic

To get a visa you need a sponsor or to have an organised tour guide. They had an organised tour guide which they used until the day before they were arrested.

the fcdo advice to not travel to Iran has nothing to do with the Iranian visa process. Iran of course can give visa to whoever they want.

Cynical me thinks let's give visas to UK citizens if they are stupid enough to come here. Then we watch them then arrest them. Which they did. They were being watched as soon as they entered the country.

Visa might give you entry to a country but it doesn't guarantee your exit.

A perfect summary of the whole situation and this couple walked straight in like lambs to the slaughter.

"Bumbling Brits" what a very British cover.
I feel for those Iranians she's photographed and posted on her social media pages.

It doesn't really matter what any of us think about the regime in Iran. Whether its awful oppressive terrible etc.

None of us can do anything about it. Fighting on here amongst ourselves doesn't help or solve anything.

The fact remains the couple were bloody stupid and idiotic to go into Iran
They were advised that detention was a likely outcome and it has proven to be so.

What else is there to say. Of course it's horrendous but could have been do easily avoided

Rula

Calm down, petra

By respect I basically mean not to antagonise. Would you go to Iran? I doubt it.

We are all aware of the horrors but that's their way of life. It's awful.

But what are we to do? Go barging in, sorting out the country to teach them how wrong they are?

We've tried that love, and it doesn't work.

Why should Petra calm down?

If you can calmly accept what is happening to women in Iran I'm astonished.

There is a difference between showing respect and not antagonising a regime like that.
I would, however, respect the advice given by our Foreign Office.

Calm down, petra

By respect I basically mean not to antagonise. Would you go to Iran? I doubt it.

We are all aware of the horrors but that's their way of life. It's awful.

But what are we to do? Go barging in, sorting out the country to teach them how wrong they are?

We've tried that love, and it doesn't work.

Maybe they don't intend returning. Insurance wouldn't be an option given their ages and current health.

Why would you think this elderly couple would not intend returning?
It sounds as if they're taking a chance and being overly-optimistic.

OldFrill

The insurance companies price you out because they don't want to insure you. You can't get what you can't afford. Anyway not relevant to the thread. I doubt Dr Foreman had travel insurance for Iran (although according to you it's always an option).

We were talking about an elderly couple in their 80s who have recent health problems, not the Foremans. Insurance is always an option under those circumstances.

Of course the Foremans would not get travel insurance as they were travelling to a country against the advice of the Foreign Office.

Don't twist what I said.

The insurance companies price you out because they don't want to insure you. You can't get what you can't afford. Anyway not relevant to the thread. I doubt Dr Foreman had travel insurance for Iran (although according to you it's always an option).

OldFrill

Maybe they don't intend returning. Insurance wouldn't be an option given their ages and current health.

Insurance wouldn't be an option given their ages and current health.

I don't understand.

Travel Insurance is always an option but might cost more than the holiday.

Maybe they don't intend returning. Insurance wouldn't be an option given their ages and current health.

I have just spoken to a couple in the 80 s who have both recently recovered from major cancer operations they have decided to have a weeks holiday in a far off place but haven’t bothered with any insurance ‘because they are both fine and it’s only a week’ 😳🤷🏼‍♀️
Same arrogant mindset ‘it won’t happen to me’

To get a visa you need a sponsor or to have an organised tour guide. They had an organised tour guide which they used until the day before they were arrested.

the fcdo advice to not travel to Iran has nothing to do with the Iranian visa process. Iran of course can give visa to whoever they want.

Cynical me thinks let's give visas to UK citizens if they are stupid enough to come here. Then we watch them then arrest them. Which they did. They were being watched as soon as they entered the country.

Visa might give you entry to a country but it doesn't guarantee your exit.

They were granted tourists visas but were fully aware of the risks.

However, because Mrs Foreman was working by interviewing Iranians and gathering information about their lives, that would have alerted the authorities and aroused suspicions.
They were perfectly aware of the risks but still went ahead.

It is, isn't it.

Thank you for that information Allira

So they must have had either a sponsor in Iran or have initially joined a tour? It's more confusing by the minute.

Susie42

I’m surprised that they were able to obtain visas to enter Iran so did they enter illegally or on a tourist visa which used to be only for three months.

Yes, I'm surprised too.
Surely the Iranian authorities would check them out and want to know the purpose of their visit before granting a Visa?

If you choose to travel to Iran against FCDO advice, apply for a visa well in advance of your travel. The application process for an Iranian visa can be long and unpredictable.

If you want to travel to Iran with a British passport, the Iranian Embassy has told FCDO you must either apply as part of an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran to get a visa. Check with the Iranian Embassy in the UK for more information.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you submit your visa application.

Women and girls aged 10 or over should wear a headscarf in their visa application photos.

I’m surprised that they were able to obtain visas to enter Iran so did they enter illegally or on a tourist visa which used to be only for three months.

OldFrill

They were also strapped for cash, a Just Giving page was started late last year to help them fund their adventure.

People with more money than sense then, donating.

Iam64

Monica - your comment about the couple not being allowed out without reins made me lol thank you

Just seen this, I laughed too.

Monica - your comment about the couple not being allowed out without reins made me lol thank you

Cultural respect is a tricky one . We demand it here , and other countries demand it there. We all have to abide by the laws and customs of whichever land we are in. We don’t have to agree with it or like it but don’t then go to a country and complain about its laws or culture. There are countries I could never visit .

It’s so baffling . There’s a mindset though that convinces you that you are immune to bad things happening and have an empathic link to other people … clearly nothing bad has ever happened to this couple to make them hesitate or think twice about putting themselves at risk and their families through hell. I’d be furious with them. I traveled to Northern Africa 50 years ago with my boyfriend - of course the people were and still are lovely, hospitable, kind, etc etc. but get on the wrong side of the law for whatever spurious reason and you are, like my lovely gentle boyfriend, beaten up, spend 2 weeks in a hell hole of a jail and deported - leaving your 18 year old girlfriend to drive your Land Rover back home …. Reader - I didn’t marry him! It taught me a lot at an early age and certainly improved my diplomatic and language skills . I feel sorry for this couple , they lost the gamble, but not sympathy. I hope they are free soon.

Rula

*I’ll save my ire for the uncompromising rulers of Iran and their medieval attitudes.*

But that's their culture. We obviously don't like it in the west but it's how things are done there.

We really need to learn and understand that other countries do things differently.

And we should, and usually do, respect that

RESPECT 😡 These savages beat a beautiful young woman to death for not wearing a headscarf.
How, just how can you use the word respect when referring to Iran.
Just in case you had forgotten this tragic woman’s death. This might refresh your memory.

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/iran-death-mahsa-amini-protests-morality-police

£25 not £2

She said they were short of money and offered some online psychobabble positive clarity session @£2. Using Just Giving is for donations rather than charging for an event, so people were encouraged to just donate. I don't really want to put the Just Giving link as l don't want to encourage the nonsense. The Facebook page for their journey shows regular updates of them using "clarity cards" to keep their psyches on the straight and narrow. Mainly he appears in these updates in a towel. It's all very bizarre but then I'm not really a supporter of psychobabble/men in videos in towels.