In brief
UN special rapporteurs Dr Alice Edwards and Mai Sato have called for the immediate release of British citizens Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are serving a ten‑year sentence in Iran on spying allegations. The experts highlight serious procedural irregularities, the couple’s hunger strike, and the lack of communication with their family. Iranian authorities reportedly used the case for political leverage, and the UK government has expressed urgent diplomatic concern. The Foremans, detained during a motorcycle tour, deny wrongdoing and are now in Evin jail, where they refuse food. The situation underscores broader tensions between Iran and Western nations over human rights and hostage treatment.
UN experts have called for the immediate release of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple sentenced to ten years in Iranian jails on espionage allegations.
Dr Alice Edwards, a UN special rapporteur on torture and “other cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment, and Mai Sato, rapporteur on human rights in Iran, noted that the couple’s legal proceedings were “marked by grave irregularities.” They warn that a 30‑day hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin prison is a medical emergency.
The pair were arrested in January 2025 while traveling through Iran on a round‑the‑world motorcycle journey, an event the couple denies involvement in or responsibility for.
The UN officials say the Foremans are likely being used as political leverage and that their convictions lack due‑process guarantees. They have appealed to Iranian authorities to quash the convictions and urged the UK government to employ all diplomatic channels to secure their release.
In December, the couple’s last consular visit, and they have since had no contact with their family. Their son, Joe Bennett, demands that any future Iran‑UK peace negotiations include provisions for the release of foreign detainees.
The UK foreign office said it will continue working to ensure “that they are returned safely to the UK.”
The Foremans’ situation reflects broader concerns about Iran’s treatment of foreign detainees, especially amid international discussions on sanctions and diplomatic leverage. They also highlight the crucial role that international human‑rights bodies can play when domestic legal recourses appear limited.
