Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
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UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned Iran’s 10-year sentence for Britons Craig and Lindsay Foreman. Family says their Oct 27, 2025 trial barred a defence and they deny espionage. London vows to press for their release.
LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday condemned as "totally unjustifiable" the 10-year sentence given to two British nationals detained in Iran, saying the government would continue pressing for their release.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman had been charged with espionage after Iran accused them of gathering information in several parts of the country.
"We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family," Cooper said in a statement.
Joe Bennett, Lindsay's son, said in a separate statement the couple had appeared at a three-hour trial on October 27 of last year in which they were not allowed to present a defence.
"We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage," he said, adding that the family was deeply concerned about the couple's welfare and the lack of transparency in the judicial process.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Kate Holton)
The UK condemned Iran’s 10-year sentence against British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman on espionage charges, with officials pledging continued efforts to secure their release.
They are a British couple detained in January 2025 while traveling through Iran. They deny espionage allegations and, according to family, faced a three-hour October 27, 2025 trial without the chance to present a defence.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the verdict totally unjustifiable and said the UK will press Iran for the couple’s release while providing consular support to the family.
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