Couple held in Iran

Wow! So many hard hearted women here. I agree they were foolish to cross over into Iran, but there is something lacking in a person who has “no sympathy” They were travelling the world together on motorcycles. Having been doing so a long time, they took the stupid decision to cross into Iran. Now they are held in awful conditions. According to those with experience of custody in Iran, it’s common practice for arrested foreign nationals to be tortured until they make a ‘confession’. They will likely rot in an Iranian prison for decades.

A little compassion costs nothing.

I think they have been v foolish. I also feel sorry for them. The two are not mutually exclusive for me.

Her Instagram has been made private now, so someone must have had access to it (obviously)

Iran is near the top of my bucket list trips. However. As a sensible woman who would not want to put financial and emotional pressure on my family and friends I won’t go whilst it is on the Foreign Office list of do not travel countries. If I did my insurance would be invalid, and I know that, despite what people seem to think, the British Embassy cannot magically spirit me out.

@ImmediateReaction Too much. I would say however much it costs then they should have to reimburse it. Shouldn't take long when they've sold a few sessions of gratitude life coaching and their souls at the altar of daytime telly interviews.

Pushing boundaries in the UK, not so problematic. Pushing boundaries in Iran, quite problematic, as they appear to have discovered. When were they arrested? Over a month ago? At least they have been seen by UK representatives. Now how much will it cost to.get short sighted 'pushing boundaries' adults back?

So for those who werent paying attention in school: a visa gives you permission to enter a country, it does not guarantee you will be allowed to leave again.

Pushing boundaries is for toddlers and the conceptual arts, not totalitarian states.

Stupid is as stupid does.

@bamboo12 why did they feel the need to "push boundaries"? Most people grow out of that mindset when they leave their teens.

"They had a right to be there" FFS what Part of Iran don't you get ? They don't do rights, this isn't France they are visiting. Rights, my arse.

Ah, so perfectly safe then. No worries, not that much of a problem travelling there then, it's not like you'd get arrested and held or everything (sarcasm) 🙄

Anyone voluntarily visiting Iran after the plight of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe had been all over the UK media for the best part of a decade is stupid. I’m sorry that your friends are in a bad situation, but that doesn’t change the fact that they made an incredibly stupid decision and got themselves into this mess, and I will be very angry if any UK taxpayer resources are expended to get them out of it.

this story also reminds me of the three American who crossed the Iran border by mistake while hiking in the border area 🤦🏻‍♀️

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/10/us-americans-iran-spies-espionage-lawsuit

Over 20 years ago, I traveled to Syria to visit a family member. I was a young student but read about all the rules and everyone I met there also told me which rules to follow and that foreigners can get in trouble quickly (someone went to jail for a bit by mistakingly photographing one of Assad’s palaces). I was also told not to discuss politics or the regime with locals especially not in public. Hotmail and other email providers were blocked (this was before social media and smartphones). Some news sites were blocked too.

I think these people are incredibly naive (and probably also stupid) and didn’t read or listen to any advice about how to behave while travelling in Iran. I just hope none of the locals got in trouble by talking to them.

Every Western national who has ever been unjustly detained in Iran (or Russia, or North Korea) has been granted a visa to be there, so that’s a moot point.

These are hostile, anti-Western states, who love detaining hapless western citizens in order to blackmail their home governments. They have been engaging in hostage diplomacy for years at this point.

Anyone with a shred of common sense would never travel to a country with a recent history of randomly arresting their fellow citizens on fake security charges.

Also:

"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. "

If you read the UK website fir Iran it repeatedly tells people that they don't advise travel there for UK nationals. Hopefully, they will get out soon. Some people aren't so lucky and it can take years.

If You decide to go to a country that it is advised not to visit because it is not safe, that is taking a risk in itself.

Having done that, surely you educate yourself as to what to do and not to do to reduce that risk as much as you can.

Going on SM and publicizing that you, as a woman, are interviewing people for a film. Asking opinion from ordinary people

If that is not stupid, it is unbelievably ill advised. And may have brought trouble for those interviewed too.

You do not push boundaries in countries like this.

"Foreign travel advice
Iran
FCDO advises against all travel to Iran."

Right at the top of the UK government website. At the very top!

Then it says

"FCDO advises against all travel to Iran
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.
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel. "

SIGNIFICANT RISK OF ARREST - THEY WERE ARRESTED. SURPRISED?

Why did they get a visa? Don’t know, you’d have to ask who provided it?

The fact is no matter how “lovely” they are they acted stupidly!

The two are not mutually exclusive.

Who's calling them names. Saying they acted stupidly is not calling them names.

Why did they get a visa when they applied then?
I get that they acted against advice but they did have a visa to be in the country so to me that means they could travel through.
The comments on here are awful - they are lovely people and yes maybe they made a mistake but don’t call them names.

I know them and they are not stupid

What would you describe travelling to a country your foreign advises you don't travel too?

Because it sure isn't "a great idea".

They sounded gullible and naive saying they wanted to believe the best in all people. They knew the risk but thought they knew better than the experts.

They might not be stupid but they have acted stupidly. Do you understand the difference? If everyone tells them not to go to Iran and travel there, is labelled as not advisable, then why are they so arrogant to assume its OK for them.

They will end up costing this country lots of money to get them out. Lots of hours sorting their ill advisable jollies In an attempt to release them.

Hopefully, they will contribute from their own funds or might they continue to hold their hands out begging money on 'Go fund me' as they have done to date for their trip. Free lunch again for them, is it!

This. No one said it's acceptable. However, people might think their actions unwise or even completely stupid.