British Couple Jailed in Iran on Espionage Charges Urge UK PM to Help Secure Release

A British Couple Jailed in Iran on Espionage Charges Urge PM Starmer for Help

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple from East Sussex, have made an emotional appeal to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to assist in securing their release from an Iranian prison where they are being held on espionage charges.

The couple were arrested in January 2025 while traveling through Iran as part of a planned overland journey from Europe to Australia. They deny the allegations, claiming the charges are based on falsified evidence and amount to a 'sham.'

Speaking from Tehran's Evin prison, Craig Foreman emphasized that their innocence is known to the UK government but has not been publicly acknowledged. He urged Starmer and senior officials to 'step up' and help their situation, stating that their lives are constantly at risk.

Conditions inside the prison have reportedly deteriorated, with shortages of food, lack of medical care, and prisoners sleeping on metal bunks without mattresses. Craig Foreman is also reported to be suffering from an untreated dental abscess.

The family has criticized the UK government for a lack of urgency in addressing their case and has described the trial as a 'slow-motion destruction.' They entered Iran with valid visas, intending only a brief visit as part of a transcontinental journey.

The UK Foreign Office has stated that the couple's sentences are completely unjustifiable and efforts are ongoing to secure their release. The government has also reiterated its advisory warning against traveling to Iran due to the risk of detention.