England – Britain – Joe Bennett, the son of British couple Lindsay and Craig Fuhrman, who have been detained in Iran on espionage charges since February 2015, revealed the deterioration of his mother’s mental state. He confirmed that their fate is now hanging in the balance due to a diplomatic impasse between Tehran and London.
Bennett’s comments came days after he was able to speak with his mother, Lindsay Fuhrman, for 20 minutes last Thursday, October 23. It was his second call with her since the couple were arrested in Kerman while on a round-the-world motorcycle trip.
“She began to lose hope”: The last session did not go as expected.
Bennett explained that the call revealed his mother’s poor mental state, noting that she “couldn’t say much” and expressed “a loss of hope.” He quoted his mother as saying that the last court session “didn’t go as expected.” They were expecting a final verdict, not another hearing, which added to the uncertainty surrounding their case.
The couple were arrested on charges of “espionage,” which they vehemently deny. Iranian authorities claimed they had “pretended to be tourists” to gather intelligence. The couple is currently being held in Evin Prison in Tehran, after Lindsay Fuhrman was returned there on October 13 following a period in Qarchak Prison.
“Stuck between two slow systems”: A critique of the British position
Joe Bennett described the current diplomatic situation between the two governments as “deeply troubling.” This came despite the Furman family meeting with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in early October.
Bennett criticized what he called a “diplomatic standoff,” explaining: “It now appears that both sides are waiting for the other to make the first move. The British side is waiting for the verdict to be issued before taking action, while the Iranian authorities are still considering what kind of verdict to issue. In the midst of this standoff, my parents have found themselves caught between two very slow-moving regimes.”
This humanitarian appeal comes amid warnings from human rights activists that the detention of Western citizens in Iran is increasingly being used as a tool for “government-sanctioned detention,” intended to pressure Western governments into making political concessions.
