British couple held in Iran sentenced to 10 years for espionage

A British couple detained in Iran since January 2025 have been sentenced to 10 years in jail for espionage, their family announced on Thursday, prompting condemnation from the UK government.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their 50s, were arrested while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey, according to relatives, and have consistently denied Tehran's spying claims.

The family said the sentencing followed a court appearance last October that lasted just three hours, where they were not allowed to present any defence. "They have consistently denied the allegations. We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage," their son Joe Bennett said in a statement revealing the jail terms.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman pose for a selfie in an unknown location. File Reuters

"We are deeply concerned about their welfare and about the lack of transparency in the judicial process."

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hit out at the sentences, calling them "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," Cooper said in a statement.

"In the meantime, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families."

The couple were first detained as they passed through Kerman, in central Iran, while on the round-the-world motorbike trip.

Tehran has insisted they are spies, with Iran's judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir last year alleging that the Foremans entered Iran "posing as tourists" and gathered information before their arrest.

In a BBC radio telephone interview conducted on Wednesday before news of the sentences, Lindsay said her detention had been a "rollercoaster," revealing doing yoga regularly had been her "saviour."

"We have so few tools at our disposal. We have no voice... all we can do is write letters and go on hunger strike," she noted, adding the couple were "prepared to suffer" to protest their plight. Lindsay said she also took responsibility for having entered Iran, against UK government travel advice.

She noted Iranian travel information said "guests are God's companions" and that "it was that version of the truth I wanted to understand."

Giving his reaction to the BBC, Bennett said that while the length of the sentence was "shocking" the family hoped it could be "a step in a direction."

"Almost in a strange kind of way, we now know what we're facing, and once you know what you're facing, you can begin to fight it," he said.

Agence France-Presse