UN Human‑Rights Experts Demand Release of British Couple Held in Iran
The United Nations has formally called the detention of British nationals Lindsay and Craig Foreman in Iran unlawful.
Special rapporteurs Dr. Alice Edwards and Ms. Mai Sato, who oversee torture and human‑rights matters in Iran, listed “grave irregularities” in the couple’s arrest, trial and sentencing.
In January 2025, the Foremans were seized in Tehran while passing through on a motorcycle‑touring the country. They have denied any wrongdoing and say they were held for political leverage.
Both are now on a hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin prison after their cell phone line was cut in late May. The UN has warned that after 30 days of food deprivation the situation is a medical emergency.
The couple’s “10‑year sentence” was upheld in a recent appeal that the brothers and their families lost. Their last authorised consular visit with British diplomats occurred in December last year.
Edwards and Sato urged Iranian authorities to overturn the convictions and urged the UK government to use all diplomatic means to secure the couple’s release.
The Foreign Office has pledged to keep working to ensure the Foremans’ safe return.
The families have criticised the lack of clarity about the legal process. Farrier Somerset’s son, Joe Bennett, has called for a prisoner exchange as part of any peace framework with Iran.
Others in the media highlight the case as a reminder that Britain’s foreign policy should not leave citizens behind in foreign prisons.
For more on the ongoing drama, see the BBC’s related stories about the couple’s appeal and calls for release.
