Key facts
- British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, arrested in Iran in January 2025, have ended a hunger strike.
- They were sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they deny.
- Their appeal against the sentence was rejected, and their case is now with the Supreme Court.
- The couple are being held in separate cells in Evin Prison, Tehran.
- Lindsay Foreman is accused of asking questions that could prompt regime change.
A British couple, Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who were arrested in Iran in January 2025 and subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges they deny, have ended a hunger strike. The couple, who were on a round-the-world motorcycle trip, have been held in Tehran's Evin Prison, with Lindsay Foreman accused of asking questions that could prompt regime change.
Their appeal against the 10-year sentence was rejected, with their legal team stating they were not permitted to attend their own appeal hearing. The case has now been passed to the Supreme Court, though the family remains uncertain about the legal process and timeline. Lindsay's son, Joe Bennett, has been vocal in advocating for their release, describing their detention as a serious human rights violation and their hunger strike as a protest.
The Foremans were initially detained in Kerman, spending 30 days in solitary confinement before being moved to Evin Prison. They have had limited contact with their families, with phone calls home only permitted in August after several months of no contact. The UK Foreign Office has described their incarceration as "unjustified and appalling" and continues to provide consular assistance, while advising against all travel to Iran due to the risk of detention for British passport holders.
Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was previously held in Iran, commented that the rejection of the Foremans' appeal could be a signal from Iranian authorities to the British government. The family hopes for the couple's safe return to the UK.