In brief
UN special rapporteurs have demanded that Iranian authorities free Lindsay and Craig Foreman from Evin jail, citing faulty legal proceedings and a medical emergency after the couple went on a hunger strike. The couple, detained while touring Iran on a motorcycle trip, deny any wrongdoing and have lost an appeal against a ten‑year sentence. His son has called for diplomatic solutions and highlighted the need for foreign detainees to be considered in any peace talks. British Foreign Office says it will continue to pursue safe return to the UK.
UN human‑rights experts have called on Iran to release British nationals Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are serving a ten‑year sentence in Tehran’s Evin prison.
Both were arrested in January 2025 while on a round‑the‑world motorcycle trip and have firmly denied any wrongdoing. Their case was marked by serious procedural irregularities, the Rapporteurs noted, casting doubt on the fairness of the trial.
The pair are currently on hospital‑grade hunger strike after communication with family was cut off last month. The UN experts warned that after 30 days without food, “this is a medical emergency.”
Dr Alice Edwards, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture, and Mai Sato, the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, urged that the Foremans “should not be in prison” and that the Iranian authorities quash their convictions.
The UK’s Foreign Office says it will keep advocating for their safe return. The Foremans’ last consular visit was in December, and their case has now escalated to the Iranian Supreme Court.
Their son, Joe Bennett, has been actively campaigning for a prisoner‑exchange, saying the UK must not leave citizens behind in foreign prisons once diplomatic negotiations resume.
The backdrop to this situation is the recent loss of an appeal against their sentence, which further underscores the urgency for international support.
Read the full BBC report on their appeal loss.
The situation highlights the need for any inclusive Iran‑UK peace framework to address the fate of foreign detainees and prevent human rights abuses amid political leverage.
