10 year sentence for Lindsay and Craig Foreman.

BlueBelle

Plevey08 that’s a really daft answer and very disrespectful
I bet many on here, myself included, have been to many unusual countries, perhaps more than you, but I would NEVER go against advice especially if you ve had the information about others plight who have been there before.

I like to hear others opinions but disrespect is just nasty and unnecessary

Thanks, Bluebelle

As someone whose DH was in HM Forces and who, myself, has travelled to places which might be less than desirable, it was an extremely rude comment. The thing is, I might have been adventurous but not, I hope, absolutely stupid and disregarding the advice of the Foreign Office.

I have met a couple who were asked by a charity to visit a country which was undergoing troubled times. It was dangerous but I'm not sure if it was against FO advice at the time. They were captured and had a terrible time in captivity. Well-meaning but not as stupid as the two now imprisoned in Iran.

I've never been to Bognor.
Is it really, really dangerous?

I'm surprised you mentioned pigeons, Plevey, it's usually the seagulls which are dangerous.

Plevey08

So you've made perfect decisions all your life.? They're human. At least they had the courage to do something they believed in. Stay at home if you want....but let others choose and not live in fear. As for the FO you wouldn't go anywhere if you followed their advice. They're just covering their arses...and ho keep us all in our little places.

I hear North Korea’s nice at this time of year.

Sago

Plevey08

So you've made perfect decisions all your life.? They're human. At least they had the courage to do something they believed in. Stay at home if you want....but let others choose and not live in fear. As for the FO you wouldn't go anywhere if you followed their advice. They're just covering their arses...and ho keep us all in our little places.

I hear North Korea’s nice at this time of year.

Chilly but sunnier than the UK. 🌞
I hear tourism has recommenced, Plevey08.

I’m with the majority in finding it impossible to feel sympathy for these two. Arrogant, idiotic, selfish and more. The FO isn’t onky covering its back Plevey08, it’s giving appropriate advice.

FranP

Am I right, that these were the idiots photographing an airfield?? Not just "travelling through". No wonder....

Are you conflating this with an elderly couple in Afghanistan, released after 7? months in jail without being charged with anything. He was 80 and they had lived there for 2 decades?

FranP

No, there have been a few plane spotters who have been detained for taking photographs of aircraft in foreign countries.

Eg Conrad Clitheroe, Gary Cooper, and Neil Munro (2015): detained but released without charge in the UAE..

Allira

I've never been to Bognor.
Is it really, really dangerous?

I'm surprised you mentioned pigeons, Plevey, it's usually the seagulls which are dangerous.

Spent a few childhood bucket and spade beach holidays there. It was safe back then but who knows today, maybe they have got mutant pigeons replacing the seagulls?

Bognor Regis is the most dangerous medium-sized town in West Sussex, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities.

Allira

^Bognor Regis is the most dangerous medium-sized town in West Sussex, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities.^

Goodness, thankfully I haven't been there in years. Pagham was always nicer but just a pebble beach, although I preferred the sea there, clearer and no seaweed yuk hate the stuff!

This foolish couple seemed to go out of their way to draw attention to themselves in Iran by asking people what it was like to live there and what made them happy.

They ignored all the warnings to not go, including those from their very worried family, but of course they knew best.

Plevey08

Well Allira....I think you best stick to a day trip to Bognor Regis....watch out for the pigeons though, they don't only nick your chips, they might peck off your nose. Best check FO first or HO as they might advise against it 😃

Oh, Prevey stop with your stupid remarks to a poster who made a reasonable argument.

You clearly cannot formulate a argument without getting rude and disrespectful.

Fact is they made a stupid desition when all the facts were there. They ignored advice from friends, the Foreign Office, and they must have been aware of what happened to Nazanin. They are arrogant fools and now it's going to take alot of time, effort and money to get them released.
Are you a friend of these fools by any chance? You serm to taking it very personally, and being rude to a poster with a valid opinion reflects badly on you.

seem not serm.

rafichagran, you put it so well.
Wish we could have a Like button ...

Scribbles

rafichagran, you put it so well.
Wish we could have a Like button ...

MN have a react button. Does anyone have any idea why GN doesn’t?

Because we can't be trusted, even though the reactions aren't visible on MN.

Stupid and unwise though they were, they don't deserve a 10: year prison sentence. Let's not fall into the victim blaming trap, eh?

They don’t indeed deserve 10 years Rowantree but its definitely not victim blaming, they acted foolishly, they were arrogant and felt they knew best, going against all advice, They may also have impinged on others lives who were hired by them to help them, so they certainly deserve more than a ‘there, there don’t do it again’
They were NOT in any way victims they did not just wander in there without knowledge They were warned and informed, more than once, they knew the odds ..they deserve punishment and knowing it’s a country with a SEVERE punishment regime they should have been more humble and intelligent
Ten years is way over the top but that is the regime they chose to disobey.

I think everyone on this thread will agree that 10 years in an Iranian jail is totally uncalled for. But that is the MO of the Iranian regime and visitors ignore this at their peril.

rafichagran

Plevey08

Well Allira....I think you best stick to a day trip to Bognor Regis....watch out for the pigeons though, they don't only nick your chips, they might peck off your nose. Best check FO first or HO as they might advise against it 😃

Oh, Prevey stop with your stupid remarks to a poster who made a reasonable argument.

You clearly cannot formulate a argument without getting rude and disrespectful.

Fact is they made a stupid desition when all the facts were there. They ignored advice from friends, the Foreign Office, and they must have been aware of what happened to Nazanin. They are arrogant fools and now it's going to take alot of time, effort and money to get them released.
Are you a friend of these fools by any chance? You serm to taking it very personally, and being rude to a poster with a valid opinion reflects badly on you.

Well said rafichagran. I don't know if Prevey08 is a new poster but they need to look up the dictionary meaning of forum. Everyone is entitled to have a say but rudeness and disrespect are not needed. If the 08 in their username is their dob then they are very unlikely to be a grandparent. I shall ignore any further posts. There is enough unpleasantness in the world at the moment.

Allira

^Bognor Regis is the most dangerous medium-sized town in West Sussex, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities.^

Dh’s old aunt lived in Bognor, very close to the seafront, but TBH the only danger we ever faced there was her ire if lunch (brought and cooked by me) wasn’t on the table on the dot of 12.30.
Her usual greeting to us on opening the door was, ‘I’m starving!’ 😂

We had formerly always taken her out for lunch, but whatever she ever had it was too hot, too cold, too tough, too sloppy, they don’t know how to make pastry any more….

Fallingstar

I think everyone on this thread will agree that 10 years in an Iranian jail is totally uncalled for. But that is the MO of the Iranian regime and visitors ignore this at their peril.

I totally agree, no one wants them to spend 10 years in that he'll hole. They did go to Iran though at their peril.

I don't believe they're guilty of anything but stupidity. Even then I struggle to be sympathetic towards them, yeh it's a bad state of affairs but they knew it was a risk and they chose to ignore the government advice of not to travel to Iran. It seems daft that they're wanting sympathy, do we now give sympathy to who ignore the people in the know?

BlueBelle

They don’t indeed deserve 10 years Rowantree but its definitely not victim blaming, they acted foolishly, they were arrogant and felt they knew best, going against all advice, They may also have impinged on others lives who were hired by them to help them, so they certainly deserve more than a ‘there, there don’t do it again’
They were NOT in any way victims they did not just wander in there without knowledge They were warned and informed, more than once, they knew the odds ..they deserve punishment and knowing it’s a country with a SEVERE punishment regime they should have been more humble and intelligent
Ten years is way over the top but that is the regime they chose to disobey.

I agree with Bluebelle.

Ten years in an Iranian jail may seem extreme to us and is indeed harsh, but Iran is not the UK, different laws and rules apply and they knew that when they set out on their foolhardy trip in that country.

No doubt they and their family will lobby for the foreign office and U.K. government to intervene on their behalf, and if they negotiate a release ( which usually involves paying £millions of taxpayers money) then they will write a book about their ordeal, thus a nice little earner for them.