A British couple jailed for 10 years in Iran on espionage charges have said they feel “let down, alone and completely frustrated” and have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “step up and help us.”Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53 and from East Sussex, were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran as part of a global motorcycle journey. They deny all allegations, claiming the charges were based on “falsified evidence” to justify a maximum sentence.
‘We are not spies’: Emotional appeal from prison
Speaking from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, Craig Foreman said the couple’s innocence was known to the UK government but had not been publicly stated.“It’s very difficult to understand why our innocence has not been said publicly. We are not spies. The charges against us are simply not true,” Foreman was quoted as saying by Sky News.In a direct appeal to Starmer and senior officials, he added: “Go public with the information, you have to clearly step up, step out of the shadows and help us. Our lives are constantly at risk.”
‘Life-threatening situation’ amid conflict
The couple said they were being held in what they described as a “war zone,” with explosions from nearby strikes sending shockwaves through the prison. Family members said blasts had shattered windows and forced inmates to take cover as debris fell around them.Conditions inside the jail have reportedly worsened, with shortages of food, lack of medical care, and prisoners sleeping on metal bunks without mattresses. Craig Foreman is said to be suffering from an untreated dental abscess.
Family describes ‘slow-motion destruction’
The couple had entered Iran with valid visas as part of a planned overland trip from Europe to Australia and intended to stay only briefly. Their family has described the trial as a “sham,” alleging arbitrary detention.The couple’s son, Joe Bennett, said the emotional toll has been severe, particularly on his mother.“My mum is in pieces… The sense that she’s been abandoned by her own government is breaking her,” he said, describing their detention as a “slow-motion destruction.”He also criticised what he called a lack of urgency from British authorities, saying the government had not done enough to publicly challenge the charges.
UK government responds
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the welfare of British nationals detained in Iran remains a priority.In a statement, it described the couple’s sentences as “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable” and said efforts were ongoing to secure their release and reunite them with their family.The FCDO also reiterated its advisory warning British nationals against travelling to Iran, citing a significant risk of detention.