Family of British couple imprisoned in Iran 'living a nightmare' as they await verdict
Lindsay and Craig Foreman have been detained since January and are said to be 'losing hope'
The family of a British couple detained in Iran on espionage charges say they are 'living a nightmare' after the latest court hearing reportedly did not go to plan.
Listen to this article
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were seized in Kerman in January while on a round-the-word motorbike trip before being imprisoned at the notorious Evin prison.
The couple, of East Sussex, were later charged with espionage which they deny.
Lindsay's son Joe Bennett said he had recently spoken to his mother for the second time since she was detained, after she was permitted a 20-minute call from prison on Thursday.
Read more: $100 million estimated damage in strike on Ukraine's second largest drug distributor
Mr Bennett said: "There was very little my mother could say. Her spirits were low.
"She told me that a further recent court appearance last week had not gone well.
"We had been told to expect a verdict rather than another appearance.
"I don’t know exactly what that means, but I could feel she's losing hope."
The detained couple's family met Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this month but Mr Bennett described the approach of the Government as "deeply concerning."
He said: "Right now, it feels like each side is waiting for the other to move first.
"The British are waiting for a sentence before acting.
"The Iranians are deciding what sentence to hand down.
"And in the middle of this diplomatic stalemate are my parents, innocent people caught between two systems moving too slowly."
Mr Bennett added: "It's been 10 months.
"It feels like living a nightmare, one we can't wake from.
"The horizon for their freedom feels hard to see, but with public support, I still believe we can get there."
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns all British and British-Iranian nationals not to travel to Iran because of a "significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention."
A spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary previously said they "were monitored with the cooperation of security agencies and arrested", according to the Mizan news agency.
Mr and Mrs Foreman embarked on their travels last October from their remote villa in Spain and were due to conclude their trip in Australia in July.
The FCDO has been approached for comment.