Diplomatic tensions rise as UK challenges Iran over espionage convictions photo

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, on February 19, condemned as “totally unjustifiable” the 10-year prison sentence handed down in Iran to a British couple convicted of spying, stressing that the UK government would continue efforts to secure their release.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman were charged with espionage after Iranian authorities accused them of collecting information in several regions of the country. In a statement, Cooper said London would persist in its diplomatic engagement until the couple are freed.

“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,” she said.

The Foremans were arrested on January 3 last year while travelling through Iran as part of a global motorcycle journey. Iranian state media announced their detention the following month, citing espionage allegations, and the couple have now been held for more than 13 months.

In a separate statement, Lindsay Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said the pair appeared before a court during a three-hour hearing on October 27 but were not permitted to present a defence.

“We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage,” Bennett said, adding that the family remained deeply concerned about the couple’s welfare and criticised what he described as a lack of transparency in the judicial process. He urged the British government to “act decisively and use every available avenue” to secure their release.

The Iranian embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the sentencing.

According to a statement released by the family, the couple have endured extended periods without communication, limited or delayed access to legal representation, and episodes of solitary confinement. They also faced delays in receiving funds for basic necessities and reported disrupted or canceled consular visits.

Cooper said the UK authorities would continue to provide consular assistance, though her office did not comment specifically on the reported disruptions.

Lindsay Foreman is being held in the women’s section of Evin Prison in Tehran, while her husband Craig is detained in the prison’s political wing.

In recent years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have detained a number of foreign and dual nationals, frequently on espionage or national security charges. Human rights organizations argue that such arrests are used as leverage in disputes with other countries and form part of a broader pattern of politically motivated detentions. Tehran has rejected those claims, maintaining that the cases are based on legitimate security concerns.