Two New Zealand tourists who were imprisoned in the country for months by the hostage-taking regime of the Islamic Republic

A source familiar with the situation confirmed to the Guardian that the pair had been held by security forces in Iran. In the months of silence, the pair’s online followers, human rights experts and Iran specialists grew increasingly concerned for their welfare – and that they could become pawns in a geopolitical environment where Iranian security forces are incentivised to detain foreign tourists to avoid pressure from foreign governments.

October 26, 2022 | 8:09 pm