British couple detained in Iran visited by UK officials after 112 days

A British couple held in Iran's notorious Evin prison have been visited by UK officials for the first time in nearly four months.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are serving a 10-year sentence on espionage charges they deny, met with British diplomats on Monday after 112 days without any consular contact.

The meeting with Ambassador Hugo Shorter comes after a summer of rising diplomatic tensions. The couple last saw Shorter on 15 June, shortly before British embassy staff were evacuated from Tehran amid escalating hostilities between the US and Iran. Although embassy staff returned in late August, the Foremans remained cut off until this week.

What happened during the visit

The couple's children said the visit brought "desperately needed reassurance" to the family, but warned that their parents' ordeal is far from over. Lindsay's son, Joe Bennett, said he has only been allowed to speak to his mother for 10 minutes over the last five months.

"Think about your own family and what five months means," Bennett said. "The conversations you have without even thinking about them. This is my mum. This is our family. And whole chunks of our lives together are simply passing by."

During Monday's visit, details of the couple's physical condition emerged. The pair ended a hunger strike in August, which they had staged to protest being denied phone calls. Craig Foreman, who lost 17 kilograms (2.7 stone) during the strike, told diplomats he has since regained about 10 kilograms.

To cope with life inside Evin, the couple have been helping fellow prisoners. Lindsay is running yoga classes, while Craig is helping to cook and distribute the few vegetables available in his prison wing.

However, the family stressed that this is simply their way of surviving, not a sign that their situation is improving. Lindsay is still waiting for prescribed medication to reach her and has been unable to contact her UK lawyers.

The diplomatic backdrop

The Foremans were travelling through Iran on a worldwide motorcycle trip when they were arrested in early January 2025. UN experts have previously described their detention as "state hostage taking for political leverage", citing numerous irregularities in their trial.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband raised the couple's case directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the UN General Assembly in September, demanding their immediate release.

But Bennett said that while he welcomed Miliband's intervention, the government needs to turn its demands into reality.

"I don’t want another assurance that a phone call should happen. I want the phone to ring," Bennett said. "And I don’t want 'immediate release' to become another powerful phrase that changes nothing about where they wake up tomorrow morning."