Yvette Cooper said the 10-year jail sentence for a British couple in Iran was “completely unjustifiable”.
Lindsey and Craig Foreman were arrested and detained on espionage charges in January 2025 while traveling through the country on a motorcycle trip around the world. The East Sussex couple, who are in Tehran’s Evin prison, have denied the allegations.
“This sentence is absolutely appalling and completely unjustifiable,” said Secretary of State Cooper. “We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until Craig and Lindsay Foreman are safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family.
“At this time, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families.”
Lindsay Foreman said she came to the country on a “global initiative to focus on good.” She told the BBC before the sentencing, “If anything, my desire is even greater to find something that connects us.”
Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son, told ITV News they were informed of the sentence last week and his family were “deeply concerned” for the couple’s welfare and the “lack of transparency” in their legal process.
“My parents have now been sentenced to 10 years after a trial that lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present their case,” he said.
“They have consistently denied the allegations. We have found no evidence to support the espionage allegation.”
He said: “We have previously been told that once a sentence is imposed, further action will follow. We now hope that the UK Government will act decisively and use every means available to secure their release.”
In January, Richard Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian who was imprisoned in the country for five years with Bennett, and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, took part in a public campaign of two hunger strikes to free him from Iran. To set them free.
The couple will appear before a court in Tehran in the coming days.
Craig Foreman says frequent meetings with his wife keep him going. “I know her jail is just 70 meters away and I see her once a month,” he said.
“For me and Lindsey, seeing each other is what’s driving us right now. I love my wife so much. She’s the love of my life.”
