Traveling across continents is something almost every motorcyclist dreams of. New places, new people, new sights and sounds, new food, and the feel of the open road, these are the things that inspire us to take these grand adventures around the world. But going without thinking, without proper planning, or going to places where the outcome is not always certain can create unnecessary risks, and/or lead to problems with governments that are not friendly with you.
Conflict zones, or exclusion zones, make matters worse. At least, again, if you’re unprepared, unaware, or think, “It won’t happen to me.” Backup plans and literal backups are always essential when you’re doing this type of travel. You should know better than to do something in some situations, which is probably the case for Britons Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who rode their motorcycles across the Middle East to Iran.
This is not the best idea, even though it predates the current conflict between the United States and Iran, which had not yet started. Nevertheless, both were arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage. The UK has made every effort to secure his release, but a new complication has arisen as it was recently announced that Craig’s sentence has been extended by another two years.
according to BBC“In February (Craig and Lindsay) were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, but relatives of Craig Foreman said they were told their sentences were being increased for speaking to the media from their cell in Tehran’s Evin prison. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the department is ‘urgently liaising with Iranian authorities about the increased sentence.'”
The news organization says Foreman was reportedly informed he was being taken to meet his attorney, but was instead taken in front of a judge. With no lawyer present at the time, and no translator, he was sentenced to two more years in prison. Nor was he given the chance to defend himself, although it would have been difficult to do so even with a translator or a lawyer. However, both are also on hunger strike since May BBCJoe notes that he started it when prison authorities did not allow him to contact his family members.
The British Foreign Office is playing its part in advocating for the pair’s release, as well as telling the Iranian government – whatever is left of it, that is – that the two motorcyclists are not spies, nor do they deserve to be detained, and should be released immediately. But with the ongoing conflict within the country and the power vacuum created within those running the entire state, the political will to do anything, let alone small classes and prisons, potentially changes any day.
What happens next will largely depend on what happens next within Iran and Tehran’s government. However, Britain also created an office “to support British nationals detained abroad in complex cases”, with former MP and Middle East minister Alistair Burt taking up the role. Foreman’s case will be one of his first tests, and the family is optimistic.
