Iran has charged a British couple, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, with espionage, according to reports from Iran’s state media. The couple, who were detained last month, are accused of collecting information in several provinces while entering the country as tourists. Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency claimed the Foremans had connections with “hostile countries.”
The British government has expressed deep concern over the charges. A Foreign Office spokesman stated, “We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities,” adding that consular assistance is being provided to the couple. Britain’s ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, has met with the Foremans in Kerman, where they are currently jailed, in the presence of Iranian officials.
The Foreman family released a statement expressing their concern and determination to secure the couple’s safe return. “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,” the statement read.
The couple had been traveling the world on motorbikes and entered Iran from Armenia on December 30. Their arrest adds to a pattern of Iran detaining Western nationals, often accused of espionage, which critics argue is a tactic to gain leverage in international negotiations. Tehran denies these allegations.
Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse
