A British man detained in Iran on claims of espionage has had his prison sentence extended, according to his family. Craig Foreman, 52, arrested alongside his wife Lindsay, 53, in January 2025 during a motorcycle trip, faces an addition of two years to his initial ten-year sentence. The couple, accused of spying, was detained shortly before U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in February 2025. Both were held in Tehran’s Evin prison and have denied the charges.
Joe Bennett, Lindsay’s son, expressed the family’s distress over the extension, saying it was due to Craig speaking to the media. Bennett reported that Craig was led to believe he would meet his lawyer but was instead taken to face a judge who imposed the new sentence. The situation left the family feeling ‘absolutely flabbergasted,’ as Craig had neither legal representation nor the chance to defend himself.
The British Foreign Office is actively seeking clarification from Iranian authorities about Craig’s increased sentence. Bennett shared that both Craig and Lindsay have been on a hunger strike since May 2026, their second protest. They have suffered significant weight loss and declining health, yet a family letter urging them to end the strike has been withheld by prison authorities.
Communication with their family has been restricted since May 2026, and they have reportedly been denied medical care. HRANA reported the couple’s significant weight loss and health deterioration. Despite denial of the espionage allegations by British officials and the U.N., Craig and Lindsay remain imprisoned. The U.N. called for their release, criticizing the trial’s fairness.
The situation is compounded by the ongoing war in Iran, which poses constant danger. The family fears for the couple’s safety in the conflict. The British government condemned the decade-long sentence as unjustifiable. A new envoy was appointed to assist British nationals in complex detentions abroad. The family hopes for official recognition of their situation as arbitrary detention.
Bennett remains hopeful that international cooperation could lead to their release, referencing past cases where persistence led to freedom. The family appeals for mercy and calls on the British government to prioritize Craig and Lindsay’s case for a possible return home.