Jail sentence for British couple in Iran ‘totally unjustifiable’, says foreign secretary | Iran
Yvette Cooper said the 10-year prison sentence given to a British couple in Iran was “completely unfair”.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested and detained on espionage charges in January 2025 while traveling across the country on a motorcycle ride around the world. The East Sussex couple, who are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, deny the allegations.
“This sentence is completely appalling and completely uncalled for,” said Secretary of State Cooper. “We will pursue this case uninterruptedly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their families.
“In the meantime, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families.”
Lindsay Foreman said she came to the country for a “global initiative to focus on the good.” Speaking to the BBC before sentencing, she said: “My desire to find what connects us is even greater.”
Lindsay Foreman’s son Joe Bennett told ITV News they were informed of the sentence last week and that his family were “deeply concerned” about the couple’s welfare and the “lack of transparency” in the judicial process.
“My mother and father were sentenced to 10 years in prison after a hearing that lasted only three hours and they were not allowed to make a defence,” he said.
“They have consistently denied the allegations. We have seen no evidence to support the espionage charge.”
He added: “We have previously been told that further measures would be taken after sentencing. We now hope that the UK government will act decisively and use every means possible to secure their release.”
In January, Bennett was joined by Richard Ratcliffe, who has led a public campaign that included two hunger strikes for the release from Iran of British-Iranian Anoosheh Ashoori and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who have been detained in the country for five years, and presented a 70,000-signature petition on the steps of No 10 calling on the government to do more to release them.
The couple is expected to appear in court in Tehran in the coming days.
Craig Foreman said what keeps him going are the infrequent conversations he has with his wife. “I know his prison is only 70 meters away and I can see him once a month,” he said.
“For me and Lindsay, the only thing keeping us going right now is seeing each other. I love my wife so much. She’s the love of my life.”
