Iran has charged British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman with espionage, accusing them of collaborating with Western intelligence agencies. The couple was arrested in January while traveling through the southeastern Kerman province of Iran. According to Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, the Foremans entered Iran under the guise of tourists and gathered information, which led to their detention by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Kerman chief justice Ebrahim Hamidi confirmed the couple’s alleged connections to foreign intelligence organizations. “Investigations are still ongoing,” Hamidi added.
The Foremans, who were reportedly in their early 50s, had been on a global motorbike tour and crossed into Iran from Armenia in December. Their goal was to continue their journey toward Australia. Iran accuses them of collecting information from multiple provinces and collaborating with foreign intelligence services linked to hostile Western countries.
The UK government is providing consular assistance and has been in touch with Iranian authorities. In response to the situation, the British Foreign Office emphasized its advisory against traveling to Iran.
Several Europeans remain imprisoned in Iran, and the country has been involved in prisoner exchanges with Western nations. In January 2023, Iran executed British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari for espionage, drawing widespread condemnation from the UK and other Western governments. The country has also recently released some foreign detainees in exchange for Iranians held abroad.
