Couple held in Iran

[StrawDonkey]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c626p6pz7xlo

AIBU to not understand why anyone would go on a motorcycle trip to Iran? Advice is not to go there at all but I can understand that someone desperate to see family would take a risk.

It sounds as though they did it purely to promote their business, to demonstrate that being brave/positive/optimistic reaps reward. I imagine she was planning a life affirming, emotional piece to camera on leaving Iran. Hasn't quite gone to plan, eh!

I have been in a situation where someone close to me got into difficulty abroad, and it made the news. People's reactions on social media were horrible. Some comments were justified, others were not. But even ones that are justified, it's not nice seeing how someone that you're close to gets torn down over and over and over again. You know this couple, their good sides as well as bad ones, not the one stupid thing they've done that makes everyone pile on. I'd strongly recommend staying away from social media posts about this couple. You won't change anyone's mind and it'll just make you feel awful. For you and their other friends & family I hope they get lucky and get to leave Iran in the near future.

I don’t disagree with you, or all those making points about their decisions being stupid and irresponsible and selfish. I just think a little human compassion is appropriate for the torture and possibly decades detained they will now suffer.

I don't think anyone has said they couldn't care less that they'll now suffer.

But they chose to put themselves in this situation knowing that they were putting themselves in this situation and knowing the situation would mean torture.

There will now be people out at risk to try and rescue them or even more of taxpayers money used to get them out.

They chose that.

They chose despite being residents of Spain right now to put themselves in a position that the British embassy would have to rescue them from.

People are just saying they were stupid - because they were.

The woman's brother's mother in law tweeted about it. She expressed real concern for the couple but she still agreed with the many comments saying they shouldn't have gone and said the family warned them and also couldn't believe they did it anyway. She used the word "naive" but didn't argue with people using the word "stupid".

There will now be people out at risk to try and rescue them

I really don't think there will be. I'm sure there will be diplomatic efforts but we have very little traction in Iran right now. They may, if they're lucky, be added to some future prisoner trade, or form part of some deal if we have something Iran wants but no ones going in to get them SAS style.

My auntie went a few years ago on an organised tour and wore government approved clothing.....she said it was beautiful but she was very very careful and stuck to every rule she was given.

While I hope they aren’t treated too shabbily - everyone with half a brain knows that if you enter Iran as a westerner you are most likely to be used as a pawn in their geopolitical games. Iran doesn’t ‘do’ rights and the UK has insufficient influence in the modern world to demand decent treatment of its citizens (regardless of the guff they write at the front of the passport).

They are fools. I hope their foolishness doesn’t end in tragedy.

I don’t think anyone is wishing that on them, I think everyone’s reaction is “they knew the risks, it was idiotic”, it’s very difficult to be hugely empathetic when someone has chosen to be so reckless. They were warned by so many people, but apparently because they got a visa, they had every right to be there.

Rights and recklessness are two very different things.

I also object to being a “hard hearted woman” for my views.

Do woman need to all think a particular way, must be soft and nurturing at all times, can’t have an opinion on events outside of total empathy.

I’m not hard hearted, I’m realistic.

It's the arrogance of them that takes my breath away, they really thought that believing there are nice people everywhere would somehow act as a talisman over them??

I'm not sure the Iranian authorities would appreciate them sharing pictures from their country and talking about them on Instagram etc. Even the head covering she attempts is sloppy and half hearted when chatting to locals.

@SassK I imagine she was planning a life affirming, emotional piece to camera on leaving Iran. Hasn't quite gone to plan, eh!

Oh I don't know, that might be quite impactful in ten years time or so when she's released from prison!

Well yes - every cloud! 🙈

or pig-headed, even - Iran is such a vast expanse of land -
why sojourn in Tehran of all places

off they went suffused with missionary zeal
in a midlife crisis which ruled out common sense

if friends family everyone else believed this to be a foolhardy escapade
why were they (go) funding it?

who knows now whether the hapless Iranians interviewed by this arrogant
couple will be safe,
as this foolhardy couple were not only a danger to themselves but others

they are Spanish residents now are they not. ?

"who knows now whether the hapless Iranians interviewed by this arrogant
couple will be safe,
as this foolhardy couple were not only a danger to themselves but others"

That was my concern, it's easy to see who chatted to them since they share pictures on social media. I hope the people in Iran are ok. The Iranian authorities might assume they have shared information, so they could end up arrested with no consular battling for them.

I hadn’t even considered that aspect, that the Iranian’s interviewed could also suffer!

it gets worse!

@Justalittlehandhold yes! rash, ill advised adventuring risking the safety of others

I have not been so you obviously know ore than me but I would have thought young Iranian women wearing headscarves that barely cover the crown of their head.

A western woman doing the same I imagine is another matter and will attract attention.

They may have put locals in danger as they’ve posted their pics when they interviewed them…utterly stupid and time deaf…

They’ve been charged with espionage according to BBC news.

I have just seen this too.

Not surprised, it's as expected for Iran. They now have a pair of bargaining chips.

I had Sky news on and they said security related charges...when were they arrested was it a few weeks ago?

I'd love to visit Iran but I'd be too scared to step foot in the country...l've a friend from Tehran but she doesn't go and visit her family as it is very very risky.

That could be as simple as photos held on their phones. We went to a place where we were warned not to take pictures in a particular direction because there was a military site (or similar, I can't remember the details) and it could be seen as spying. We were told that if we did accidentally have photos we'd probably just be told to delete them but that it wasn't worth the risk of being accused of espionage. I suspect travelling without a guide etc has made the authorities suspicious.

Weren't they traveling around questioning people etc? I thought that was part of their project. Maybe I'm completely wrong.

Well yes, that's the accusation of choice in totalitarian regimes, partly due to paranoia (wrong, photo, spoke to wrong person, anything related to collecting data) and partly because it puts you in danger of long prison sentences and therefore makes you the perfect bargaining chip.
Poor fools.

They are fools. I struggle to feel sorry for them.