The family of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple imprisoned in Iran, announced that the two have been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage. The verdict was issued by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, a court under the Iranian regime that typically handles political and security-related cases. The couple were arrested at the beginning of 2025 while traveling through Iran by motorcycle.
Five months earlier, the Foremans had appeared in a three-hour session before the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran. They were not permitted to defend themselves.
The UK foreign secretary described the 10-year prison sentence for the couple as completely shocking and unacceptable.
Yvette Cooper said she would pursue the Foremans’ case relentlessly until the couple return safely to the United Kingdom.
In recent days, Joe Bennett, Lindsay’s son, said that the conditions of the British couple imprisoned in Iran have deteriorated and are worse than ever.
He called on the British government to make greater efforts to secure their release.
Bennett had previously criticized what he described as inaction by the British government, stating that despite repeated promises that the case was a priority, no decisive action had been taken to free them.
He had said that the couple had been threatened with execution and left in conditions of malnutrition without access to medical treatment.
It has also been reported that they have been subjected to psychological torture through staged releases and deceptive tactics by security agents.
On January 7, The Telegraph newspaper reported, citing the couple’s family, that officials had told Lindsay and Craig Foreman they had been released and were returning to Britain. However, after their flight from Kerman landed in Tehran, the couple were separated and transferred to prisons in the capital.
According to the report, the couple were arrested more than one year ago by forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful military and security organization of the Iranian regime.
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During a round-the-world motorcycle journey in January of last year, they entered Iran from Armenia and, after staying in the cities of Tabriz, Tehran, and Isfahan, intended to travel to Kerman. However, on February 3, 2025, they were arrested en route to that city on charges of “espionage”—an accusation both have categorically denied.
The Telegraph, quoting Bennett, wrote that six months after their arrest, Iranian authorities promised them release and, during their transfer from Kerman to Tehran, placed them on a commercial flight and assured them they were returning home.
Despite this, after the plane landed, the couple were blindfolded and handcuffed and transferred to separate prisons: Lindsay to Qarchak Prison and Craig to Evin Prison, both facilities in Tehran known for holding political and foreign detainees.
The Telegraph, citing Bennett, emphasized that this incident was one of several instances of psychological abuse inflicted on the couple.
According to Bennett, his mother is being held in a ward housing violent local prisoners, while Craig Foreman is being held among political prisoners.
Bennett said that daily fights occur in the ward where his mother is being held, and she feels extremely unsafe. He stated that this situation is not a neutral administrative decision but poses a real danger to prisoners’ lives.
The UK Foreign Office has previously warned all British and dual nationals to refrain from traveling to Iran.
