A British couple jailed in Iran on espionage charges have lost an appeal against their convictions, their family has said. Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, were handed 10-year prison sentences in February after being found guilty of spying, which they deny.
The couple, from East Sussex, were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip. Their family claimed they were not allowed to attend their appeal hearing, and Lindsay Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, expressed concerns about the process, stating the couple 'don't understand the process' and were asked to sign documents they could not read.
Bennett said Craig Foreman is on day 25 of a hunger strike and his wife on day 16 at Tehran's Evin prison. He added that all communication between them has been cut off by Iranian authorities. He met Foreign Office officials on Monday but left without clarity on what pressure is being applied to Tehran.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) expressed disappointment at the appeal decision and said it would continue working to secure the couple's safe return. The FCDO confirmed that Britain’s ambassador to Tehran has visited them in prison and facilitated calls with their family, and that ministers have met the family to set out the UK government's actions to try to secure their release.
The FCDO warns all British and British-Iranian nationals against travel to Iran due to a significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention.
