Iran Jails British Couple for 10 Years on Espionage Charges

Foremans' sentencing in Iran

Iran has sentenced British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman to 10 years in prison. They were arrested in January 2025 while on an around-the-world motorcycle trip, according to multiple reports. Iranian prosecutors charged the pair with espionage and say the couple entered 'posing as tourists' and gathered information.

The family and the Foremans deny the allegations. The UK Foreign Office announced the sentence on 19 February 2026. Several accounts say the conviction followed a short hearing before Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court.

Those accounts say the couple are being held in separate wings of Tehran's Evin Prison. The Foremans' son and relatives say they were told of the sentence only recently and that the couple have been detained for more than a year.

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Evin prison detention accounts

Family accounts and reporting from inside Evin prison describe harsh and specific conditions. Craig has said he spent long periods in solitary and described an eight‑foot cell with only a hole in the floor and a sink. The couple say they are often held separately with only brief monthly visits about 70 metres apart.

Relatives and the Foremans report limited legal access, disrupted consular visits and months of restricted communications. According to Lindsay, a mix of protest actions, including letters and a hunger strike, was used to draw attention to their treatment.

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