British couple lose appeal in Iran espionage case, family says

A British couple jailed in Iran on espionage charges have lost an appeal against their 10-year sentences, according to their family. Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip, and were sentenced in February. Their family says the pair are now being held in Tehran's Evin prison and are on hunger strike.

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A member of their legal team in the UK said no reason was given for the rejection of the appeal. Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman's son, said the couple were not permitted to attend their own appeal hearing. He said they had also been asked to sign documents in Farsi that they could not read and refused to do so.

The family says the case has now been passed to the Supreme Court, although it does not understand the legal process or the likely timeline. The couple's family says Craig Foreman has been refusing food for 25 days, while Lindsay Foreman is on day 16 of her hunger strike after briefly resuming eating. Bennett said Craig, who is a carpenter, is taking sugar, milk and water, and is becoming visibly thinner and weaker.

He said there is less information about Lindsay's condition, and that news is coming through the families of cellmates. The pair have also been prevented from calling relatives in the UK since they gave an interview more than a month ago. The case has drawn attention because it combines a long-running detention dispute with concerns about due process and access to family contact.

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The family and their legal team say the couple are innocent tourists and have been arbitrarily detained, while the Iranian authorities have accused them of spying. The British government has previously warned citizens against travelling to Iran and has described the couple's incarceration as unjustified and appalling. The Foremans' case has developed over several months since their arrest in January 2025.

They were travelling by motorcycle when they were detained, and their sentencing in February marked the start of a legal process that their family says has remained opaque. Evin prison in Tehran has long been associated with the detention of political prisoners, foreign nationals and dual nationals, making the location itself significant in cases that attract international scrutiny. The move to the Supreme Court suggests the legal process is continuing, but the family says it has not been told what to expect next.

What remains unclear is when the Supreme Court will consider the case, whether the appeal rejection can be challenged further, and whether the couple's hunger strikes will continue. It is also not known whether they will regain contact with family members in the UK or receive any new access to legal or consular support. For now, the case remains a live diplomatic and human-rights issue, with the family pressing for more information and the couple's health said to be worsening.

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