A British couple who set out on a round-the-world motorcycle adventure have been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran after being accused of espionage — charges their family and the UK government strongly deny.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were arrested by Iranian authorities in January 2025 while travelling through the country. They are currently being held at Evin Prison in Tehran and have consistently maintained their innocence.
Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, described the sentencing as “gutwrenching” in an interview with the BBC.
“I do believe that the Government, the whole way along this process, have said that we’ve got to wait for sentencing — and now that that’s there, I feel they can step up to the mark,” Bennett said. “Ten years is just a number. We have to work towards it being as short a time as possible.”
He added that past cases show a wide range of outcomes. “Some are resolved within weeks, others unfortunately drag out for years. But we can’t lose hope.”
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the verdict, calling it “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable.”
“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,” Cooper said. “They have consistently denied the allegations, and we have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage.”
Bennett has also received support from former detainees, including Anoosheh Ashoori, and campaigner Richard Ratcliffe, who previously led hunger strikes to secure the release of his wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Speaking to ITV News ahead of sentencing, Craig Foreman issued a simple plea to the UK government.
“One word would be: help. Full stop,” he said. “I don’t understand why we have been here for 13 months, being held hostage in 2026. In what day and age does this happen? When does this end?”
Craig described being confined in an eight-foot cell with a hole in the floor and a small sink, saying the conditions have taken a severe toll.
“Emotionally and physically, it broke me to pieces,” he said.
He added that brief, infrequent meetings with his wife are what keep him going.
“I know her prison is just 70 metres away, and I get to see her once a month. For Lindsay and for me, seeing each other is the only thing that’s keeping us going right now.
“I love my wife dearly. She’s the love of my life.”
