Couple jailed in Iran fear rising executions and airstrikes

An East Sussex couple jailed in Iran say they are increasingly in fear of intensifying executions and airstrikes.

Lindsay Foreman, 53, and her husband Craig, 52, were on a round-the-world motorcycle trip when they were arrested on suspicion of espionage in January 2025 - charges they have always denied.

Later sentenced to serve 10 years behind bars in Tehran, the couple admitted that their feeling of abandonment at the hands of the British government has only grown since the outbreak of war between Iran, the US and Israel in February.

The Foreign Office said the UK government was working to get the couple home.

Now approaching his 16th month in Evin Prison, Craig said the situation there had become "life-threatening", both as a result of the conflict outside and the volatile mood within.

"It doesn't take much to be in the middle of a fight," he said.

"You could just look at someone the wrong way and they will just kick off."

He added that the threat of state executions also loomed large, with the recent shock news that a brother of one of his Iranian cellmates had been killed.

"It just knocks you into a bit of a head spin," he said.

"You just think to yourself, 'Why does this happen?' I don't know."

Craig added he found it "hard to believe nothing can be done to free two innocent people, because our lives are definitely 100% at risk".

His wife Lindsay described the constant anxiety of being stranded in a war zone.

"I made my peace with death within maybe 48 hours of the reality of the bombs hitting," said Lindsay, describing how explosions have caused the ground beneath her feet to shake violently.

Fearing one direct hit could spell "the end for everyone" at the jail and that she "could be dead tomorrow", she vowed to try to stay positive in the face of "interrogation, provocation or intimidation" and not to waste what "precious" time she has left.

She also called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "absolutely defend our innocence" on the world stage.

The couple's son, Joe Bennett, from Folkestone in Kent, has criticised the government's response to his parents' detention, calling the situation "a constant battle".

"We're fighting to raise awareness and to get them to do the right thing and tell the truth - that my parents are innocent," he said.

The Foreman family has also urgently appealed to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who previously dubbed the couple's sentence "completely appalling and totally unjustifiable".

They want her to formally designate them as 'arbitrarily detained' - meaning there is no legal justification for their imprisonment - and to provide a quick and clear plan for their safety.

The Foreign Office said the ambassador to Tehran, plus diplomats and officials in London, had been providing assistance.

The ambassador, it said, had visited the Foremans in prison and arranged calls with family in the UK.

A spokesperson said the Foreign Secretary last met the family on 17 March, adding: "She set out to them personally how unjustified and appalling their incarceration continues to be.

"As the conflict in the gulf continues, this has become even more worrying for the Foremans.

"The UK Government continues work to safely return Craig and Lindsay to the UK."

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