British couple in Iran prison say situation is 'life-threatening'

A British man jailed with his wife in Iran on espionage charges has said they feel frightened by the war and abandoned by the British government.

It marks the first time that Craig and Lindsay Foreman have released a public statement via their family since the start of the conflict on 28 February.

Mr Foreman said the couple, who were arrested in January 2025 while on a global motorbike journey, felt "let down, alone and completely frustrated".

In the message, recorded over the phone by the couple's son, Joe Bennett, Mr Foreman said that evidence against them was fabricated by the Iranian authorities to justify a 10-year sentence - and the UK government is fully aware of their innocence.

Speaking from the Evin jail in Tehran, Craig Foreman appealed to the government to state publicly that they are not spies.

"It's very difficult to understand why our innocence has not been said publicly. We are not spies. The charges against us are simply not true," said Foreman.

He also expressed anger at "a serious lack of commitment" for their safety.

"We are now in prison in a war zone," he said. "We have gone from a challenging situation to a life-threatening one. You have chosen to give us zero information on what's happening to us, what to do and where to go if the prison doors were to open."

In response, the Foreign Office said the welfare of British nationals continued to be a priority for the government.

A statement added: "Craig and Lindsay's sentences are completely appalling and totally unjustifiable. We will continue to pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian regime until we see Craig and Lindsay safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family."

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53 and from East Sussex, were transferred last summer from the city of Kerman to Evin prison – where Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was held along with many political prisoners.

The couple are being held in separate cells in "appalling" and deteriorating conditions, according to Mr Bennett.

Bennett said there was no medical care and food supplies were becoming increasingly scarce.

He also said they were sleeping in crowded cells on metal bunks with no mattresses, while recent explosions from the US-Israeli bombardment have struck close enough to send shockwaves through prison buildings.

The couple were not informed when British embassy staff were temporarily pulled out of Iran last month, according to the family.

"My mum is in pieces," said Mr Bennett. "She's gone from always finding the positive to feeling completely lost. The sense that she's been abandoned by her own government is breaking her."

He added: "In the past few weeks I've had to have some of the hardest conversations of my life. I had to tell my parents they'd been sentenced to 10 years in prison. I had to tell them the British Embassy had closed. And I had to tell them that ministers had been advised not to say publicly that they are innocent, or call this what it is: arbitrary detention."

Craig and Linsday Foreman had entered Iran despite Foreign Office advice - which warns against travelling to the country due to the risk of being arrested - but with valid visas, a tour guide and a pre-approved itinerary.

The couple had been on a "once in a lifetime" motorbike journey from Europe to Australia and had only intended to be in Iran for a few days.

Linsday Foreman, a life coach, had been asking people along the route what it means to live a good life.

They were both given 10-year sentences last month, after a "sham trial", according to their family.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the sentences at the time as "completely appalling and totally unjustified".

She met Mr Bennett to discuss the case last week, but he expressed frustration afterwards, saying the government lacked a clear strategy or sense of urgency.

"While France and Germany have secured the release of their citizens through assertive intervention, the UK remains trapped in a wait-and-see approach that has already cost my parents nearly 15 months of their lives," he said.

The Foreign Office's website advice on not travelling to Iran states: "Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you."