British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman make first call home since being detained in Iran

A British couple detained in Iran have spoken to their family for the first time in seven months.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were detained in January while on a motorcycle tour around the world and were later charged with espionage.

The pair deny the allegations.

Speaking to Sky News, the couple’s son said the eight-minute phone call gave him a “massive, overwhelming feeling of relief”.

Joe Bennett said: “They seemed to be pretty good mentally. And they say that they’re being looked after as well as possible and making the best of the conditions.

“We laughed, we cried. You know, we talked about how things were happening and how they got to where they are.”

Mr Bennett said when he saw the phone ring, he “got nervous” as he had not spoken to his mother for quite some time.

He added: “But as soon as we started speaking to one another, the reconnection that we’d lost along the way was there again.”

Mr Bennett said he was able to ascertain from the short call on Tuesday that his parents had been transferred by plane a week ago from Kerman to Tehran.

He described the situation as “seven long, long months”, but said the call was “reassuring”.

Mr Bennett added: “And now it just kind of gives us the energy to kick on and get them home.”

The family believe the couple were held together when in Kerman, but reports have since suggested the pair are being detained in separate prisons.

Mr Bennett urged the Iranians to “continue to show compassion” as he called for regular consular access and further phone calls to ensure “their welfare is maintained”.

He added: “The phone call that we received from them was such a boost for us as a family and it would have been a huge, huge boost for the two of them to have heard their family voices for the first time in seven months.

“We’re going to keep fighting. We’ve got to keep pushing to make sure that we get them home as soon as humanly possible.”

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The Iranian Embassy said it “remains committed” to providing consular access to Mr and Mrs Foreman and will “continue to cooperate” with the British Embassy in Tehran.

The couple’s transfer was said to have been carried out with the consent of the British Embassy.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Embassy added: “The case of these two individuals is proceeding through its judicial and legal stages in accordance with the domestic laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and after the completion of normal procedures, the judicial hearings related to the case will be held.”

Mr Bennett said a lack of timeline in regard to any potential court action was “deeply worrying”.

He explained that while the phone call sparked a feeling of “happiness and joy”, the reality is that both Mr and Mrs Foreman remain incarcerated.

Mr Bennett added: “And they’ve still be detained for far, far longer than they should have been. So, we just need to keep on making sure that we’re doing everything we can to get them home as soon as possible.”

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises British and British-Iranian nationals, who are at significant risk of detention, not to travel to the Middle Eastern country.

A spokesperson said: “We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran.

“We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities. We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.”