‘My parents will spend Christmas in a scary Iranian prison for a crime they didn’t commit.’

It’s been almost a year since Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested by Iranian authorities on spying charges, which they strongly deny, leaving their children heartbroken this Christmas.

Trapped in a terrifying Iranian prison, surrounded by rats and without enough food, a British couple never imagined they’d spend Christmas like this.

It’s been almost a year since Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, were arrested as “spies” in Iran while travelling around the world on their motorcycle. It was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime, but it has turned into a nightmare.

The couple and their family vehemently deny the allegations made against them – but the horrific incident has left their children searching for answers.

It would be months before their children even managed to speak to their parents on the phone.

leaving them frightened and unsure if the pair were even alive. Lindsay and Craig were even forced to go on a hunger strike to receive more calls from their loved ones.

Lindsay’s son Joe Bennett has said the conditions the couple are facing in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison are incredibly depressing. The family also has “no guarantee” that they will get to make phone calls and hear their parents’ voices during Christmas.

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Evin Prison is extremely overcrowded, with prisoners facing incredibly cramped conditions. Joe said that Lindsay has developed skin problems because of the lack of ventilation, and that the couple struggles to get enough exercise in their confined space.

Joe mentions that there are rats, and the food available to the couple is not desirable, with the menu consisting mainly of rice.

Craig has lost a lot of weight and is also suffering from severe toothache – so far no treatment has been provided to him.

Without proper nutrition or medical treatment, the couple is becoming physically weak.

The family said, “living in insect-infested cells without adequate washing facilities or hygiene supplies.”

It is very different from their usual family Christmas at home.

Joe told the Mirror that his mum Lindsay and stepdad Craig are always doing something to make the festive season special for the whole family. “For them,

Christmas was about emotion and joy. It was about celebration. My mom, and often Craig, too, would be in sequins or something sparkly.

There would be music playing early in the morning.

“It was about big family meals, nasty cracker jokes, long walks, celebratory drinks and games. It was extravagant and nourishing at the same time.

“All of that is being deprived in the most brutal way. Honestly, it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.”

he says. Lindsay has two sons, Joe and Toby, and Craig has two children, Chelsea and Kieran.

Christmas spent together as a family is more enjoyable

Jo explains that the entire family will gather together during the festival because he knows that is what his parents want.

While they have leaned on each other throughout this nightmarish ordeal, he admits that things feel fundamentally “incomplete” with his parents trapped in an Iranian prison.

“We will be together, like we have been for the last year, but it is incredibly difficult.

There is a constant feeling of something being incomplete. We will spend Christmas with the family and with my mother and Craig.

We are hoping that a call will come so that we can at least share some sense of celebration and togetherness with them, even if it is from a distance.”

Whenever the children manage to talk to the couple,

They never “take it for granted”, especially after months of silence in the initial fallout from Lindsay and Craig’s arrest.

Regardless of how important it is for children to hear their parents’ voices, it is still an incredibly emotional experience every time.

The couple were detained while motorbiking through Iran in January (Image: PA)

As Joe says, “The calls are bittersweet.” “They mean so much to them and to us; to be able to reconnect after so long without any contact was incredibly emotional.

as that period without hearing their voices was one of the hardest parts of this whole experience.

“Talking has its benefits, but the injustice of their situation overshadows them.” Every call reminds us of the situation they are stuck in.

“There are no guarantees of a phone call at Christmas.

It’s awful that they can’t talk or see each other that day. It’s really heartbreaking.

Every single call holds immense importance and significance, as we cannot take it for granted.

His family grapples with the ‘heartbreaking void’ left by the couple.

Joe, who has been fighting and campaigning tirelessly to get Lindsay and Craig home,

admits that it’s taking a huge toll emotionally, and no matter what he does, the magnitude of the situation is constantly “over your shoulder”.

“I feel lost,” Joe admits. “There’s a big void, and it’s hard to even think about how to fill it. We’re relying on each other as a family.

getting through the holidays together like we have been doing for almost a year now. They want us to become into the Christmas spirit, celebrate and find moments of joy, and we’ll do our best to respect that.

“But the reality is always there, and it’s incredibly hard to ignore. We just have to make sure this is the last Christmas they have to endure like this.”

Although the family has refused to stop fighting until their parents are released,

Lindsay and Craig have been “emboldened” by the public’s support for the campaign to return them home, although they were left in “real shock” when they first learnt how people stood by them.

Lindsay admits that memories of past Christmas celebrations make him cry.

They know that people are speaking for them and that there are people around the world who know their names and support their freedom.

Their reaction was a real shock. They are so disconnected from the outside world, especially the digital world.

that it is difficult for them to understand what is happening beyond their immediate surroundings.

“But it gives them strength. Knowing that they are not forgotten and that people are fighting for them gives them hope, which is absolutely vital.

This campaign is not just about awareness. It is about showing them that they are not alone and uniting people in the fight for justice.”

Lindsay has written an emotional poem from her cell in Evin prison, which you can read below.

A Sad Voice from Evin Prison – A Christmas Poem

By Lindsay Foreman, December 2025

In a time when we must stay connected

We find ourselves alone, disappointed, disheartened.

Sadness has made a home in the hole in our hearts

Someone is absent; a family is torn apart.

we wish we could be together

hug and hold each other forever

A gentle touch and those words of consolation bring back warmth, like a cosy blanket.

Bring back warmth like a cosy blanket.

if we could cross the sky

Our Christmas wishes came true – the best surprise ever.

Vivid memories to freeze and frame

Of happy faces, free from pain.

Peace and goodwill are just a step away

When words fall silent and we just pray

Pray that eternal love will carry us forward.

My never-ending relationship with you.

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