Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has described a 10-year prison sentence handed down in Iran to a British couple as “totally unjustifiable.”
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are from East Sussex, were arrested in January 2025 while passing through Iran during a round-the-world motorcycle journey. They were later accused of espionage.
The couple are currently being detained at Tehran’s Evin prison and have denied the charges against them.
“This sentence is completely appalling and totally unjustifiable,” Cooper said, adding that the UK government would pursue the matter ‘relentlessly’ until the couple are safely returned.
Joe Bennett, the son of Lindsay Foreman, told ITV News that the family was notified of the ruling last week and remains seriously worried about the couple’s well-being.
He criticised what he described as a lack of openness in the judicial proceedings.
“My parents have now been sentenced to 10 years following a trial that lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present a defence,” he said.
Before the sentencing, Craig Foreman told ITV News that his message to the UK government was: “Help. Full stop.” He also spoke about severe detention conditions, including spending 57 days in solitary confinement.
The couple were scheduled to appear before a court in Tehran in the coming days.
(dpa/NAN)