Iran Espionage Appeal
Iran Rejects British Couple's Espionage Appeal, Family Cites Human Rights Violations
Anonymous
Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple arrested in Iran in January 2025 while traveling by motorcycle, have had their appeal rejected against their February convictions for espionage, charges they deny. Their family says they were not permitted to attend the appeal hearing and that the couple were asked to sign documents in Farsi they could not read, with no clear explanation given for why the appeal was dismissed. Both are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison and are now on hunger strike, with communications reportedly restricted after they spoke to the media, leaving relatives to receive only limited updates. Their legal team and family characterize the case as an arbitrary detention and a serious human-rights violation, while the family says they do not understand the timeline for the next steps. The matter has been passed to Iran’s Supreme Court, but the family says it has received little clarity from the process. Britain’s Foreign Office previously called the sentence unjustifiable and says it continues to push for the couple’s release.
Key Points
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Their UK-based legal team told the BBC that no reason was provided for why the appeal was rejected.
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Barrister Haydee Dijkstal said Craig and Lindsay Foreman are “innocent tourists who are arbitrarily detained” and that their “fundamental rights [have] severely and consistently [been] violated throughout their detention.”
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The family said the couple initially had limited contact—10-minute phone calls to relatives almost daily—but that access was withdrawn after Lindsay Foreman gave a media interview; the family also said they have had “no legal representation.”
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The BBC reported that the Foremans’ last consular visit was in December.
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Family members, via information from cellmates, described worsening effects of the hunger strike: Craig (reported as a carpenter) was refusing food for about 25 days, taking “sugar, milk and water,” and was said to be becoming “visibly thinner and weaker,” while Lindsay was on day 16 after briefly resuming eating.
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