British couple jailed in Iran lose appeal against 10-year sentence
A British couple imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges have had their appeal against a 10-year jail sentence rejected, according to members of their family.
Lindsay Foreman and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran during a motorcycle journey around the world.
The pair were accused of spying — allegations they strongly deny — and were sentenced in February. They are currently being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, where both have reportedly begun hunger strikes.
A member of their UK legal team told the BBC that authorities provided no explanation for dismissing the appeal. Lindsay Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said the couple were not allowed to attend the appeal hearing themselves.
Bennett described the situation as a serious violation of human rights, saying the couple had resorted to a hunger strike because they felt they had no other means of protest.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office expressed disappointment over the outcome of the appeal and said efforts would continue to secure the couple’s safe return to Britain.
According to Bennett, the couple were also asked to sign documents written in Farsi, which they could not understand, and they refused to do so.
Barrister Haydee Dijkstal, who is part of their UK legal team, insisted the couple are innocent tourists who have been arbitrarily detained and subjected to repeated violations of their basic rights throughout their imprisonment.
The case has reportedly now been referred to Iran’s Supreme Court, although the family says they remain unclear about the legal process and what steps may follow. Bennett said the uncertainty has left the family deeply distressed and worried about the couple’s wellbeing.
Communication with family members in the UK has reportedly been cut off since the couple gave an interview to the BBC more than a month ago. Their hunger strike began shortly after authorities restricted their contact with the outside world.
Family members say Craig Foreman, a carpenter, has refused food for 25 days and is surviving on water, milk, and sugar, while Lindsay Foreman, a life coach, resumed eating briefly before continuing her hunger strike, which has now lasted 16 days. Reports from fellow inmates’ families suggest Craig has become visibly weaker and thinner.
Bennett said there has been limited information about his mother’s condition, adding that the family is desperate for updates. Their last consular visit reportedly took place in December.
The UK Foreign Office, which advises British citizens against travelling to Iran, has described the couple’s detention as “unjustified and appalling.” Current travel guidance warns that British nationality or ties to the UK alone may be enough to trigger detention by Iranian authorities.
Richard Ratcliffe, whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in Iran for nearly six years, said the failed appeal could signal a message from Iranian authorities to the British government. He argued that Iran’s Revolutionary Court functions more as a tool of punishment than an independent judicial institution.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was eventually released after the UK settled a longstanding financial dispute with Iran, although British officials never officially linked the two events.
Bennett said the family hopes British embassy officials will soon be allowed to visit the couple in prison and provide them with essentials such as vitamins and clean clothing. While he wishes they would end the hunger strike for health reasons, he understands they feel it is their only remaining form of protest.
He added that the most difficult part is the uncertainty surrounding when, or if, the ordeal will end, saying the family simply wants them back home.
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