UN human rights experts have called for the release of a British couple sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian jail over spying claims.
UN special rapporteurs Dr Alice Edwards and Mai Sato said proceedings against Lindsay and Craig Foreman had been marked by grave irregularities, noting the lack of fair-trial guarantees.
The pair were detained in January 2025 while passing through the country on a round‑the‑world motorcycle trip and insist they performed no wrongdoing.
They are now on hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin jail after phone contact with their family was cut off last month, with officials noting that after 30 days without food it is a medical emergency.
The UN experts warned that the Foremans appear to have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted on highly questionable grounds, and sentenced after proceedings that failed to meet basic fair‑trial guarantees.
Dr Edwards, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture, and Maya Sato, the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, expressed concern the case may be used for political leverage and urged Iranian authorities to quash the convictions.
They urged the UK government to try all diplomatic means, noting the couple’s last consular visit was back in December.
The Foreign Office said it would continue working to ensure the couple’s safe return to the UK.
The couple recently lost an appeal against their 10‑year sentence; their son Joe Bennett reported they were denied access to the appeal hearing and that the case has now been passed to the Supreme Court.
Joe Bennett has campaigned for the Foremans’ freedom, insisting that while deals can be made, sanctions need to be balanced with the release of foreign detainees and that every peace framework with Iran must include the fate of British nationals detained abroad.
