Craig and Lindsay Foreman

Craig and Lindsay Foreman

British Married Couple

Biography

Craig and Lindsay Foreman are a British married couple who reside in Spain. Craig works as a carpenter and Lindsay is employed as a psychologist and life coach.

Arrest

The Foremans were arrested in Kernan, Iran, in early 2025 while they were traveling through the country as part of a round-the-world motorcycle tour. As part of the trip, Lindsay was engaged in a research project, asking persons she met what makes up a good life. 

According to Lindsay’s son Joe Bennett, “We talked about Iran and they genuinely believe that as tourists, as storytellers, they would be safe.” Lindsay wrote on Instagram that it was “slightly scary” to travel to Iran and Pakistan. “Yes, we’re aware of the risks,” she stated. “But we also know the rewards of meeting incredible people, hearing their stories and seeing the breathtaking landscapes of these regions could far outweigh the fear. From the vast deserts of Iran to the towering peaks of Pakistan, we hope to share the beauty, hospitality and humanity that often go unnoticed.”

Charges

Iranian regime media reported on February 14 that a British couple had been arrested for unspecified “security charges.” 

On February 18, the Iranian judiciary’s news agency claimed that the Foremans had been charged with espionage. The spokesperson said that the two had “entered Iran under the guise of tourists” and “gathered information in multiple provinces of the country.” The spokesperson added that that provincial intelligence agencies had surveilled the couple and the Foremans were “subsequently arrested as part of a coordinated intelligence operation.” He also claimed that “These individuals were co-operating with front organisations linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries under the pretence of research and investigative activities.”

The chief justice of the province of Kerman, Hojatoleslam wal-Muslimeen Hamidi, stated, “According to intelligence and security agency monitoring, the connection of these individuals with several institutions affiliated with intelligence services has been confirmed, and further investigations are ongoing.”

Treatment in Captivity

Iranian regime media posted a photo of the Foremans (not naming them, and blurring their faces) meeting with the British ambassador to Iran at the office of the public prosecutor of Kerman. The two were held for months at Kerman Prison. 

Joe Bennett told the Times of London in July 2025 that the Foremans were imprisoned together in a 3m by 3m cell with a thin mattress. They subsisted on a diet of rice, fruit, and vegetables, but their weight was diminishing. Craig reportedly walks with difficulty and Lindsay has a back problem. They have only been allowed to see a doctor once, and their assigned attorney does not speak English.

The British Foreign Office was informed that the couple were scheduled to be moved to Evin Prison in Tehran around June 8, 2025. Israel bombed Evin on June 23, causing the Foreman’s family to worry for weeks whether the couple had in fact been moved to Evin and had been hurt or killed in the bombing. The family and Foreign Office went weeks without an update from the Iranian regime. However, the family was told on July 23 that Craig and Lindsay had not been moved to Evin.

As of July 8, 2025, British consular officials had only been allowed to meet with the couple three times. Bennett told the Guardian: 

On the first visit Craig had lost a lot of weight and she was in OK spirits. 

The second visit was very chaotic and short. It lasted only nine minutes and it ended very abruptly. My mum was struggling with sleeping on a wafer-thin mattress. Craig was still thin, but he was mainly concerned about my mum.

The third visit was more positive; they had been allowed to be together and had access to the prison shop. They were in a room the equivalent of three by three. For any exercise they just did a figure of eight so they could run 5km like that. They get access to a yard for 15 minutes.

They had a metal bed with a mattress. The feeling last month was that this was moving towards sentencing or trial in that they had been appointed a lawyer, but he did not speak English so it was very very hard to communicate with him.

Bennett told the BBC in late July 2025 that he had not been allowed to speak to Lindsay or Craig since they were taken hostage. “We don't know their condition, their state of mind, or even with certainty that they are alive,” he said. “All we have had are vague reassurances through officials.” He called the ordeal unbearable and urged the British prime minister and foreign secretary to intercede. “It is a weight no family should have to bear,” Bennett added.

Bennett said on August 4, 2025, that the regime had separated Lindsay and Craig and moved them to two different, infamous prisons in the Tehran area. Craig was transferred to Great Tehran Penitentiary (a.k.a. Tehran Central Prison or Fashafouyeh), while Lindsay was taken to Qarchak Prison. Both prisons have been sanctioned by the U.S. and EU for human rights violations.

Bennett told Sky News on August 8, 2025, that the Foremans had been permitted to speak to him by phone for eight minutes, their first conversation with family since they were taken hostage. “They seemed to be pretty good mentally,” Bennett said. “And they say that they're being looked after as well as possible and making the best of the conditions. We laughed, we cried. You know, we talked about how things were happening and how they got to where they are.” Bennett stated to the BBC the same day that safe drinking water was not available to the couple and that they did not have money to buy bottled water, toilet paper, or other essentials in prison.

International Reaction

The Foremans’ identities were confirmed February 15 in a statement by their family that was issued by the British Foreign Office. The statement said:

We would like to take this opportunity to address the distressing situation concerning Craig and Lindsay Foreman who are currently being detained in Kerman, Iran. This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are deeply focused on ensuring their safety and well-being during this trying time. We are actively engaging with the British government and relevant authorities, working diligently to navigate the complexities of this matter. The family are united in our determination to secure their safe return. We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community, which has provided us with strength and encouragement as we face this ordeal.

A Foreign Office spokesperson had earlier stated that “We are providing consular assistance to two British nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities.”

In July 2025, the vice chair of the UK’s All-Parliamentary Group for Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs, Brendan O’Hara, said to the BBC that it was “absolutely outrageous” that the Foremans, who have “no political connection,” had been “taken hostage.” O’Hara termed the two hostages “innocent victims of a geopolitical power struggle” and “bargaining chips.” He said that “The UK government has to act and it has to act decisively” and do “everything they possibly can” to secure the couple’s freedom.

Joe Bennett has criticized the UK government for their handling of the Foremans’ case, claiming government officials were merely “going through the motions.”

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