British couple held in Iran are given ‘completely unjustifiable’ 10-year jail sentence for spying
A British couple being held in Iran have been given a 10-year jail sentence for ‘spying’, in a move labelled ‘totally unjustifiable’ by the Foreign Secretary.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey, and were detained on charges of espionage.
The couple, from East Sussex, are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison and deny the allegations.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said today: ‘This sentence is completely appalling and totally unjustifiable.
‘We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family.
‘In the meantime, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families.’
Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son, told ITV News they had been informed of the sentence last week and his family was ‘deeply concerned’ for the pair’s welfare and the ‘lack of transparency’ in their judicial process.
He said: ‘My parents have now been sentenced to 10 years following a trial that lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present a defence.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman are a British couple being held in Iran on ‘spying’ charges – and have now been given a ten-year jail sentence
They were arrested on January last year while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey
‘They have consistently denied the allegations. We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage.’
He added: ‘We were previously told that once sentencing occurred, further action would follow.
‘We now hope the UK Government will act decisively and use every available avenue to secure their release.’
In January, Mr Bennett was joined by former detainee Anoosheh Ashoori and Richard Ratcliffe.
Mr Ratcliffe fought a public campaign that involved two hunger strikes to have his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed from Iran, at the steps of Number 10 Downing Street to deliver a 70,000-signature petition calling on the Government to do more.
Ahead of his sentencing, Mr Foreman said he had a one-word message for the UK Government.
He told ITV News: ‘One word would be help. Full stop.
‘I don’t understand why we have been here for 13 months, being held hostage in 2026. In what day and age does this (happen)? When does this end?’
He described being held in an ‘eight-foot cell with a hole in the floor and a sink’ and described the effects of 57 days in solitary confinement, saying: ‘Emotionally and physically, it broke me to pieces’.
Lindsay Foreman, speaking to the BBC on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning ahead of her sentencing, said she came to the country on a ‘global initiative to focus on the good’.
She said: ‘I came here as part of a global initiative to focus on the good, to focus on finding unity in humanity, and that hasn’t changed.
‘In fact, if anything, my desire to find what connects us is even greater.’
The couple are due to appear before a court in Tehran in the coming days.
Craig Foreman said the infrequent meetings with his wife are what sustain him.
‘I know her prison is just 70 metres away, and I get to see her once a month,’ he said.
‘For me and for Lindsay, seeing each other is the only thing that’s keeping us going right now. I love my wife dearly. She’s the love of my life.’
