UN experts demand Iranians free Foremans

UN experts demand Iranians free Foremans7 hours agoCaroline HawleyDiplomatic correspondent Free Lindsay and Craig CampaignThey were sentenced in February and have lost an appealUN human rights experts have called for the release of a British couple sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian jail over spying claims.UN special rapporteurs Dr Alice Edwards and Mai Sato said proceedings against Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, had been marked by grave irregularities.The couple were detained in January 2025 while passing through the country on a round-the-world motorcycle trip. They both adamantly deny any wrongdoing.They are now on hunger strike in Tehran's Evin jail, refusing food after phone contact with their family was cut off last month.The UN experts said that the couple should not be in prison, and "after 30 days without food, this is a medical emergency".Dr Alice Edwards is the UN's special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Mai Sato is the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran."They appear to have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted on highly questionable grounds, and sentenced after proceedings that failed to meet basic fair trial guarantees."HandoutLindsay and Craig Foreman have been detained in Iran for more than a yearEdwards and Sato were worried the Foremans were being held for political leverage, and have appealed to the Iranian authorities to quash their convictions.They urged the UK government to try all diplomatic means to get them freed. The couple's last consular visit was back in December.The Foreign Office said it would continue working to ensure that they are returned safely to the UK.The couple recently lost an appeal against their 10-year sentence.Lindsay's son Joe Bennett, from Folkestone, Kent, said they were "not permitted to attend their own appeal hearing". Their case has now been passed to the Supreme Court, according to Bennett, although the family do not understand the legal process or the timeline of what might happen next.Their last consular visit was back in December.Joe, who has tirelessly campaigned for the couple's freedom, previously said: "Deals can be made, sanctions can be discussed, shipping lanes can be reopened, but human beings must not be left behind in prison cells."My mum and Craig are British citizens. They are innocent people caught in a nightmare."Any serious peace framework with Iran must include the fate of foreign detainees."Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.More on this storySon calls for Iran prisoner exchange for British pairBritish couple lose Iran jail sentence appeal, family saysUS-Iran deal must see British pair released - familyRelated internet linksForeign. Commonwealth and Development OfficeFolkestoneIran