A British couple imprisoned in Iran have warned their situation has become dangerous amid the region’s latest fighting and say they feel abandoned by the UK government.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53 and from East Sussex, recorded a message relayed by their son Joe Bennett from Evin prison in Tehran.
The pair were detained in January 2025 during a motorbike trip and later given 10-year sentences on espionage charges they and their family insist are false.
Speaking from the jail, Craig Foreman said the accusations were concocted to justify the verdict and urged ministers to publicly clear their names.
The couple say they are frightened, isolated and unsure what contingency plans, if any, exist should the conflict reach the prison.
Their family says conditions inside Evin have deteriorated since they were moved there last summer from Kerman.
They are being held in separate cells, with limited food and medical attention, sleeping on metal bunks without mattresses, and recently feeling the impact of nearby explosions.
Bennett said the family learned the British embassy had temporarily withdrawn staff after the evacuation, but his parents were not informed.
He described his mother as devastated and angry at what she sees as abandonment by her own government.
The son told reporters he had been forced into painful conversations with his parents about the 10-year terms and the shrinking diplomatic options.
He criticised the UK’s approach as cautious and slow compared with other European states that have secured the release of detained citizens.
The Foreign Office said it continues to prioritise the welfare of British nationals and called the sentences “appalling and totally unjustifiable,” pledging to press Iran for the couple’s return.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has met the family to discuss the case.
Craig and Lindsay had entered Iran with valid visas, a guide and an approved itinerary as part of a long-distance motorbike journey.
UK government guidance warns against travel to Iran, noting a British passport or UK links can put travellers at risk of detention.
The family and supporters are calling for more urgent and transparent government action as they seek the couple’s release and a public statement affirming their innocence.
