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Joe Bennett speaks to Shelagh Fogarty about the detention of his mother Lindsay Foreman and her partner Craig, who have now spent 500 days imprisoned in Iran. Joe reveals both have begun a hunger strike, describes the fear of losing contact during regional conflict, and criticises the UK government’s handling of the case. He says his family “will not give up the fight” to bring them home. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #shelaghfogarty #ukpolitics #iran #uknews #hungerstrike #lindsayforeman #breakingnews #middleeast #politics #iranwar #starmer #keirstarmer #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
You and I spoke once before about your mum's situation and her partner's situation in prison in Iran
0:06
500 days today, and they're both either on or have been on hunger strike in order to try and force some change in their situation
0:17
Tell us what you know about their current plight. Yeah, as you say, 500 days, firstly, is a crazy amount of time to be speaking about
0:26
it's 500 days too long they're in a bit of inertia at the moment
0:32
especially with the government through the lack of action and stepping up really
0:37
but what we know at the moment is Craig's two weeks into a hunger strike
0:41
that was confirmed by one of his cellmates family members that I'm in contact with
0:46
they still have their calls so kindly they passed on a message to us
0:51
not one I wanted to receive but it's happened and then we found out through the lawyer
0:59
that my mum had joined Craig on the hunger strike on Monday
1:04
So mum's three, four days in and Craig's, I'd say, two weeks
1:08
which is getting to quite a scary time now. Yeah, and you mentioned the lack of phone contact
1:13
They've had access to phone contact taken away, have they? Yeah, it's been restricted
1:17
We were grateful for that because throughout the war, that was our lifeline as a family, to hear their voice
1:25
It was intermittent, so it wasn't every day, but it was frequent enough to go, OK
1:29
when it got to two, three days, you start panicking. Because you were worried the prison might have been bombed
1:34
You just don't know. I was on the phone to my mum once when a bomb went off close enough to the prison
1:39
that it blew the windows out. You heard the mass hysteria in the background in the line cut
1:45
And for the best part of 48 hours, I just didn't know what happened to her
1:50
I heard from Craig the following day, and that gave me a little bit of reassurance
1:56
because they're not massively far away as the crow flies from each other. So it gave me a bit of reassurance that he was okay
2:03
and that there wasn't impact, you know, his windows and the ceiling was coming down
2:07
but it wasn't detrimental. So during that period, as I say, we were surprised, to be honest with you
2:14
with the state of what Iran was in and the blackouts and the incommunicado from inside the country
2:19
but they were really, really important. I didn't speak to them for eight months, right, from January to good September time
2:31
And that was horrible. You know, that was really hard. You'd think that that eight-month period would set you up and you'd be all right not speaking to them for a couple of weeks
2:38
But it is hard. But the phone calls you know when you in great great need the tiniest scrap is suddenly a feast isn it So those phone calls would have been absolutely pivotal to you And real reassurance I guess as well emotionally because you know I spoken to you This is our second time talking You obviously very smart and on the ball and keeping focused on doing whatever you can to get them out
3:05
But it must be such an emotional time for you as well. yeah I mean it is I could I probably come across um
3:13
maybe emotionless at times but it it gets hard a job to do exactly when I when I'm representing
3:22
them it's bigger than me you know it's hard to talk about um I have my down times I really do
3:29
I've had bad weeks I've had bad days I've had days I just can't move I can't speak to anyone
3:33
don't want to speak to anybody that's all part of it you know this is part of it it is a
3:38
a completely alien situation and one that not many people go through
3:44
So there's rough days. There's rough days. But ultimately, you know, the driving force behind it is the picture
3:50
an image in my head of giving them both a hug when they get home. That's the one thing that drives me forward
3:55
And it keeps us as a family going, right? But, yeah, incredibly tough at times
4:00
And the government, you were saying that the information you got about your parents at the moment or your mother and Craig is has been through a family member of
4:12
someone else who's being held with Craig um what about the government what about consular support
4:17
what about the foreign office they say they're doing everything they can they'll continue to
4:21
exert pressure do you you express doubts last time about about that pressure do you still have those
4:27
100 yeah I mean I'll give you an example um Yvette Cooper promised to the family in a meeting
4:34
directly face to face that she would be raising their names every opportunity when she was speaking
4:40
to Iranian counterparts and I'm you know I'm pretty sure it was the next meeting that we had
4:46
with the foreign office not with Yvette but with a foreign office and the Iran desk where they
4:51
notified us that there was a call between her and a counterpart in Iran but the tone of the call
4:56
wasn't right so she didn't bring up their names I said that doesn't make any sense there's going
5:00
to be times when the tone is horrible and it's going to be difficult conversations but it's in
5:04
those moments of difficulty that you have to be raising their names especially because if you're
5:08
not doing it and as I say keeping a simple promise then how can we trust that you're doing what you
5:14
say you are that's such an interesting example you give that because I imagine part of you if I
5:19
were in your shoes part of me would want to trust that concealer person to know their job and to
5:25
feel things out correctly which it sounds like they were telling you that's what they were doing
5:30
But I would also be like, what the hell do you mean? You didn't raise my parents. You didn't raise the situation
5:36
Exactly that. You know, you can't say that we're going to raise every opportunity and then not raise it
5:41
It just going against your word And that where the confidence dwindles in what the government are doing and how they approaching it and where it is on their political will right
5:51
It doesn't feel like it's very high up the agenda at the moment. Do you know why they chose hunger strike
5:58
Desperation. I think they've reached their breaking point. They're at a point now where their only agency to be heard and seen when they're there without contact to the outside world is through hunger strike
6:15
That is the only thing that they can do. And it saddens me because they're putting themselves through even more hardship than what they've experienced already
6:24
It's a kind of, to refuse is to have at least some control over your circumstances
6:29
I can imagine that they feel a little bit more liberated now because they're taking this action
6:34
But as I say, it's a scary action for the family to have to digest. But once you process that, I get it. I completely get it
6:43
And what we have to do here, as well as we can, is support their sacrifices that they're making over there
6:51
We've got a duty of care as a family. I will give my views on what I think
7:00
but ultimately this is their decision and I don't think we should be the ones to take that away from them
7:05
because they need the support And you mentioned again a relative of somebody else
7:12
who's in prison with Craig Do you have a group of people that you know now
7:16
that you've become mutual support for different families who have relatives in the same circumstances
7:23
Yeah. You know, one of the things we used to do is, Craig's got a big heart, as my mum has
7:29
and he used to sort of give them his phone time and contact their family via me
7:36
So, you know, you create that relationship. You're meeting people in the worst circumstances possible
7:40
You don't ever want to come across people that, you know, are going through a similar thing as what we are
7:46
But also, it's really important for connection. You know, some of these people haven't spoken to their
7:49
like, I know what it feels like to not speak to your parents for eight months some people haven't spoken for years you know and if i could give them alongside
7:58
craig um just a little glimmer five minutes whatever it is that mean the world to everybody
8:03
and from conversations like this one what what do you want from it is it about just keeping
8:11
your mum and craig's names and situation in people's minds in the government's minds is
8:18
Is that essentially all you can offer now at this point? I think it's, yeah
8:22
Or part of what you think? Yeah, I think it's continued awareness. I think that's important
8:26
You know, I'm not here to change people's opinions because people do have opinions and you can read stuff online
8:31
And you know that granted right People are allowed to entitle their opinion That fine But I also think it important that we send a message to the campaign as a family that we not going to give up the fight No matter how much hopelessness there is from the government
8:46
and how much they try to diminish the fact that nothing can be done
8:50
there is a solution. There is a solution out there. It's been proven time and time again that this can be solved
8:56
and it will be. But I think what they're trying to do at the moment is crush that
9:01
and it feels strange to say that about your own government in that they're trying to crush your fight to get your parents home
9:09
I genuinely do believe that, I really do. In conversations that we have, in conversations they've had with my mum
9:17
I'll give you an example. So Hugo Short of the ambassador, he had a telephone call with my mum
9:23
and in that telephone call essentially what was said is there's nobody that we can communicate with because the Iranian regime's in disarray
9:30
which I disagree with because the French managed to do it. There's no solution on the table at the moment
9:36
so we don't know what we're going to do. It's very difficult. And basically, strap in for the long haul, right
9:43
And that use of language and, as I say, the crushing of hope..
9:47
You've been told that? Yeah, this is what my mum told me. This is when they spoke about three weeks ago
9:51
She was completely deflated. She's basically saying, you just need to get on with your life. That's what it was doing
9:56
It's manipulation at the highest level. It's essentially abuse. she's already incarcerated
10:01
if that were true and I hope it's not I mean I'm not doubting your
10:07
impression of it but why would they do that do you think? I've no idea inertia
10:15
that's what it feels like I've said this and I've raised it with
10:19
Hamish Vulcan I said the language that you use especially to my mum and Craig has to change
10:25
you can say the same thing but put a different spin on it Just to say, the situation in Orion is really difficult at the moment
10:32
but what I want you to be rest assured is that we're going to explore every avenue we can
10:36
and we're going to fight relentlessly until we find a solution to get you home. You're saying the same thing, but you're giving them hope
10:42
So that kind of shift needs to happen. Did he accept that when you said that
10:48
Hard to tell. They're good at rebuttaling. So it's frustrating. But, you know, everybody said it
10:56
You're making a good point. And like I say, I didn't hear the exact conversation between my mum and Hugo, but I don't think it's, yeah, I just don't think it's right
11:04
As you say, if that's how it went, I believe it did because I don't think my mum would fabricate that
11:11
But that's just so difficult because then they're crushed, completely crushed. And how she experienced it is how she experienced it
11:19
Exactly. And you know her well enough to know a better way to say it to her because she's your mum
11:24
well listen we're here anytime you want to talk about it and i really hope you get that magical
11:28
moment as soon as possible appreciate it thank you very much thank you
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