Son of Iran detainee brings spy case to parliament

Barrister Haydee Dijkstal and Lindsay Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, met with an APPG on Wednesday afternoon

A British couple currently detained in Iran have been accused of liaising with intelligence agencies in the UK, Europe and Israel, a parliamentary hearing has heard.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were arrested in January and later charged with espionage, which they deny.

Lindsay's son, Joe Bennett, offered more detail on the allegations during a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs at Westminster on Wednesday.

Mr Bennett, from Folkestone, said: "Last year they went travelling and came back to UK...they were accused [by Iran] of coming back to liaise with intelligence services prior to going into Iran."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Bennett told the BBC the "other accusations have come from the fact that they're Spanish residents".

"They're often seen moving between the UK and Spain," he said, adding that the alleged link to Israel is "so fabricated".

According to Mr Bennett, this information emerged following conversations between the couple's legal representatives and the state-appointed lawyer for Iran.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman deny espionage allegations

The couple's barrister Haydee Dijkstal, who was also in attendance at Westminster, said a trial judgement could be expected "in the coming days or week".

MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Tony Vaughan, said he has made it "absolutely clear" to foreign secretary Yvette Cooper that "every single lever possible" has to be pulled to secure the couple's safe return.

"It's unacceptable that Lindsay and Craig are in Iran, in these conditions," he said.

The family said a recent meeting with Ms Cooper "produced little more than a commitment to wait for more information before deciding on next steps".

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said officials "continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities" and were providing consular assistance to the couple.

Ms Foreman, who has been transferred to the notorious Evin Prison, recently told her son that she was "losing hope".

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