British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday denounced as “totally unjustifiable” the 10-year prison sentence handed to a British couple in Iran on spying charges, vowing the government would continue pressing for their release.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were accused by Iranian authorities of espionage, with Iran alleging they had gathered information while travelling through several parts of the country.
“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,” Cooper said in a statement.
The couple were arrested on January 3 last year while travelling through Iran as part of a global motorcycle journey. Iranian state media publicly announced their detention the following month. They have now been held for more than 13 months.
In a separate statement, Lindsay Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said the couple faced a three-hour trial on October 27, during which they were not permitted to present a defence.
“We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage,” Bennett said, adding that the family was deeply concerned about the couple’s welfare and the lack of transparency in the legal process.
He urged the British government to “act decisively and use every available avenue” to secure their release.
The Iranian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to a statement from the family, the Foremans have been held for extended periods without being able to communicate and have had limited or delayed access to legal representation. The family also said the couple experienced periods of solitary confinement, delays in receiving funds for basic necessities, and disrupted or cancelled consular visits.
Cooper said the UK government would continue providing consular support, though her office did not comment on the reported disruptions.
Lindsay Foreman is being held in the women’s section of Tehran’s Evin Prison, while Craig Foreman is being detained in the prison’s political wing.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have in recent years detained foreign and dual nationals, often on espionage or national security charges.
Human rights groups say such arrests are frequently used as leverage in diplomatic disputes — a claim Tehran denies, insisting the cases involve legitimate security concerns.