Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, entered Iran on December 30, 2024 from Armenia as part of a pre-approved round-the-world motorcycle journey. They were arrested on January 3, 2025, four days after arrival. Iranian state media announced espionage charges the following month. They have since been held separately in Tehran's Evin prison — Lindsay in the women's section, Craig in the political wing.
In October 2025, the couple appeared at a three-hour hearing before Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court but were not permitted to present a defense. On February 19, 2026, their family announced they had been sentenced to 10 years. Craig spent 57 days in solitary confinement and described conditions as filthy and overcrowded. Lindsay described psychological manipulation by authorities — false promises of release or visits with Craig — as amounting to 'psychological torture.'
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the sentence as 'completely appalling and totally unjustifiable' and vowed to pursue the case 'relentlessly.' The couple's son Joe Bennett stated no evidence of espionage was ever presented. A 70,000-signature petition was delivered to Downing Street in January 2026 by Bennett alongside former detainees advocating for more government action.
Human rights groups describe Iran's practice of detaining foreign nationals on security charges as a pattern of politically motivated arrests used as diplomatic leverage. Iran has rejected this characterization. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iran for British nationals.