A British couple detained in Iran have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for alleged espionage, hours after Lindsay Foreman spoke about the mental and physical toll of imprisonment.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while passing through Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip. In a rare telephone interview from Tehran’s Evin Prison, Lindsay described their ordeal as “an endurance test for the mind,” admitting that maintaining positivity had been “incredibly hard.”
The couple, who deny the allegations, had been heading for Australia when they crossed into Iran from Armenia on 30 December 2024. They had valid Iranian visas, a guide, and an approved itinerary but were detained on 3 January.
Lindsay told the BBC she was trying to keep physically active, running “in circles” in the cramped prison yard. “I’ve resigned myself to the fact that my physical health might not be what it was when I came in but I can regain it when I leave,” she said.
Her son, Joe Bennett, described the sentence as “gut-wrenching” and called on the UK government to “act decisively and use every available avenue” to bring his parents home. He noted that the Iranian authorities have not presented any evidence and that the couple’s bail applications were ignored.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the sentence as “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable,” adding that the UK would pursue the case relentlessly until the Foremans are safely returned.
Human rights groups have long warned that foreign nationals detained in Iran are often held as leverage for political or financial gain. Previous cases, such as British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, only ended after long diplomatic negotiations.
The Foremans’ family say they endured 13 months in “dire” prison conditions, surrounded by “dirt, vermin and violence,” and that letters seeking justice had largely gone unanswered.
Lindsay and Craig, both in their 50s, remain in Evin Prison as the UK government continues to provide consular support.
