Son raises concerns for parents detained in Iran

[Ihatetomatoes]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/craig-lindsay-foreman-iran-protests-british-embassy-joe-bennett-b2900934.html

It's scary......

Couple have been sentenced to jail for 10 years....

I'm really sorry but this is going to sound harsh. Why on earth did this couple think it was sensible visting Iran given the long standing advice of the British Government not to travel there because simply having a British passport or a connection to the UK could result in detention?
Naturally I hope they are returned quickly and unharmed - but just maybe they should have listened to advice and taken personal responsibility. This is a problem entirely of their own making.

This! Astounding arrogance and stupidity that they thought they could get away with riding through Iran. They’re not idiots and knew the very real risks. That of course doesn’t mean that I am not dismayed to read todays news and hope that the Government intervene here.

I too am just mind boggled that they were there in the first place ... what can they have been thinking?

I hope this gets resolved, but, honestly, the arrogance of the middle class traveller

This.

Their family are demanding action from the government/intervention etc.

However, the warnings have been not to travel to Iran for a few years now.

The problem with them is they posted various pictures and comments about Iran and its people on social media as they went, so pretty stupid, arrogant, and easily caught.

This might cost the UK government a huge amount in time and money. No doubt when they are eventually released they will endeavour to profit financially from their silly and dangerous behaviour.

Latest story here

https://news.sky.com/story/british-couple-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-in-iran-family-say-13503275

Zero sympathy I'm afraid.

My husband is Iranian and I would dearly love to visit but we know it's a stupid idea. The government website is crystal clear that if you choose to go, they wont be able to help you and this couple's family are moaning that the British government arent helping them. Yeah, no shit Sherlock, you knew that before you went.

Completely agree with this. They were stupid. No fool like an old fool (trying to be cool riding through Iran)! If I knew my parents were planning this I’d have gone off it.

It's entirely understandable that the son would raise concerns and appeal for support. They're his parents and he is quite naturally very worried about them.

It's possible to feel very sorry for the family while recognising that this is a mess entirely of the couple's own making. They chose to go to Iran, despite the warnings and the very well known risks. And not only did they choose to go, they went round trying to "interview" Iranian people, which was inevitably going to raise suspicion.

I hope they will be released safely very soon, and of course the government will have to advocate on their behalf, but it really is incredibly frustrating that taxpayer resources will be spent digging this couple out of a hole that they should never have chosen to climb into.

Mine too, and agree with every word.

And instead of showing some humility over the entirely avoidable FAFO clusterfuck they have triggered, LF was doubling down on her decision to pursue some harebrained global happiness project by swanning into an Islamofascist dictatorship on a bloody motorbike. Something tells me the mullahs won’t exactly be shitting themselves over the fact that Yvette is Very Cross about it.

And if the rumours about Trump are true, Tehran is about to get a whole lot spicier. I am saving my sympathy for innocent Iranian citizens, like my SIL.

I hope one day Iran gets rid of the awful regime and your husband can travel safely again

Went against advice and this is what happens, the advice is given for a reason.

I’m afraid I agree with everyone else.

I obviously have sympathy with the family, and absolutely do not support the Iranian regime, but this is hardly a surprise.

Thank you, me too. His mum is in Iran and when he rang her recently to check she was ok the line was making suspicious noises it has never made prior. We suspect the phone lines are being monitored and recorded by the government. It’s just awful.

Either they are spies or they are entitled twerps. There is no way that they are not intelligent enough to know that biking through Iran and posting about it on the internet is a terrible idea with potential consequences.

It's quite A bold decision. It's not like they mistakenly bought full fat milk instead of semi skimmed because now the lids are all white instead of different colours. It was a deliberate decision.

This is the better educated version of travelling without insurance. The posh version of a gofundme to fly someone’s body home, or cover their medical bills after a scooter accident.

Quite so.

I actually know Joe (the son) and the parents are actually extremely kind souls. They tried to do charity out there too, to help others. They are not entitled, middle class twerps etc. Yes, they perhaps didn’t really understand the severity but look how many people fly to Egypt despite the warnings there. I bet you all wouldn’t comment on this taking their family there in such a horrible manner. Or perhaps you would behind a phone screen.

Disgusting comments and I hope something like this happens to your families so that you know the pain. In any event, his instagram is public so feel free to write these comments on his page and watch the backlash you get. Of course you won’t though, enjoy hiding behind your phones you low lives. Go get a job or something rather than commenting on people’s lives that you know NOTHING about.

Yes why are the milk lids all clear I keep trying to pour with the lid still on! Yes I remember when they said they were going in - I thought they were pretty nutty and privileged ignoring advice!

They don't even live in the UK, why should the UK pay out for their own stupidity ignoring all advice? They posted on insta that they KNEW it was ill advised but still did it. Absolute morons

I’m sure they are lovely people, and I’m very sad for them and especially their family. However what they did was reckless. It’s sensible to point that out so other people realise the folly should they consider it.

Someone in their lives should have said, ‘What a wonderful idea! Unfortunately it would be far too reckless to do it. What about doing X instead?’.

I have no doubt that the Foreman family are very nice people. I have stated that I hope they are returned quickly and safely, but I still think their decision to visit Iran was a really fucking stupid one, as they completely ignored UK Government advice and the result of their actions was completely predictable. Nice people can still make really shit decisions.

So - I assume you think they were perfectly reasonable to travel through Iran on the way they did?

As for your comment
Disgusting comments and I hope something like this happens to your families so that you know the pain.
The only disgusting comment here is that one in your post.

@countrymama94 Egypt? That place visited by 1 million UK tourists every year? There are some travel restrictions in place for Egypt that apply to sensitive areas like the Libya border, but exclude all of the holiday destinations. The very fact that a tourist industry actually exists in Egypt is a big clue that you are comparing apples and oranges. The fact that the Egyptian government does not generally refer to Britain as “Little Satan” is another.

I don’t think anybody here is without sympathy for the plight of this couple, but they are somewhat aghast at the rank foolishness and lack of diligence that only they are accountable for.

My Iranian DH had to weigh up visiting his dying mother against the risk of being detained and leaving his newborn son fatherless if he was detained. How dare these people trivialize the horrible choices made by dual national Iranians every single day under this brutal regime.