The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was released from a Tehran jail in 2022 following five years of incarceration, Richard Ratcliffe has encouraged the UK government to react faster in response to the arrest of British nationals by Iran. After Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple riding a motorbike around the globe were arrested in Iran in January, Ratcliffe voiced his worries.
Early in their 50s, the Foremans were allegedly arrested upon arriving Iran for their five-day vacation in line with their motorbike tour. Their arrest has left their family worried about the circumstances, which reflects the ordeal Ratcliffe and his wife went through. Richard Ratcliffe worries that the pair would now be subjected to a “brutal theater” of judicial procedures, a strategy frequently utilized by Iranian authorities to draw the attention of other governments.
“My heart goes out to them; I hope they are not in for a long ordeal,” added Ratcliffe. “I hope the government reacts faster than it did in our case.”
What Contextual Factors Surround the Arrest?
Having entered Iran from Armenia on December 30, Craig and Lindsay Foreman were headed for Australia. Having plans to enter Pakistan following Iran, they had been posting updates of their travels on social media. On January 3 from Isfahan in Iran, the pair took selfies and wrote, “What a wonderful place.” Their last social media post
Their stay in Iran, though, has veered drastically. Now the couple is in Kerman, a southern Iranian city, where Zaghari-Ratcliffe was also arrested and detained. The Foremans have been designated by the Iranian authorities as “national security” suspects, but little further has come to light regarding the charges against them.
A recent picture turned up showing Hugo Shorter, the UK Ambassador to Iran, meeting the Foremans in Kerman. Mehdi Bakhshi, the Kerman prosecutor, and Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of law enforcement and security in the area, attended the meeting.
How is the UK government handling detention?
The British couple’s incarceration in Iran has caused the UK government to show worry and to be offering consular support. A Foreign Office spokesman verified that they discussed the matter with Iranian local authorities.
Richard Ratcliffe said that the couple’s safety should come first for the government. They should be kept away from solitary confinement and let to visit with their relatives. They should not feel isolated during this period; this is quite vital.
Particularly for dual citizens, the UK Foreign Office has regularly advised British individuals about the dangers of arrest and incarceration in Iran. They counsel that even possessing a UK passport or links to the country could be sufficient justification for Iranian officials to hold someone. According to recent estimates, at least 66 foreign and dual citizens have been imprisoned in Iran since 2010; many of these detentions have been labeled as politically driven by groups such as Human Rights Watch.
In what ways might the detention affect the couple?
Ratcliffe voiced great worry about the Foremans’ possible judicial process—which he defined as “not a real court”—but rather as a kind of “brutal theater” meant to draw government attention. He cautioned that Iran’s approach of pressuring foreign countries into action might involve the process.
Ratcliffe went on, “The government needs to react fast.” “The Foremans should not be left in isolation; it will be vital that they not feel alone as the process moves forward.”
Ratcliffe also thought back on his own experience, having twice gone on hunger strikes to draw attention to the predicament of his wife. His request for the speedy release of the Foremans echoes his own years-long campaign for his wife’s liberation.
How Typical Are Such Arrests in Iran?
With at least 66 people taken since 2010, the Iran imprisonment of foreign and dual citizens has grown increasingly alarming in recent years. Particularly with the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, several of these arrests have been denounced as politically motivated. At least forty foreign and dual nationalities were arrested following her death—that is, after she was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.
Ratcliffe’s concerns about the “brutal theater” of the Iranian court system are not baseless since many detainees go through unclear trials often lacking specific allegations or proof. This has resulted in general criticism of Iran’s handling of foreign citizens and an increasing trend of applying such detentions as political tool.
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