A married couple from the UK detained in a notorious prison in Iran has spoken out about their ordeal, describing their experience as “horrific” and feeling like they are “rotting away.” Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53 years old and hailing from East Sussex, have been in Tehran’s Evin Prison for 15 months out of a 10-year sentence for espionage following a trial they deemed a sham as they were not allowed to defend themselves.
The couple was initially apprehended in January 2025 while on a motorbike journey around the world. Their family had no contact with them for months, fearing for their safety and whether they were still alive. Lindsay’s sons, Joe Bennett, 31, and Toby Rutland, 19, along with Craig’s children Kieran, 27, and Chelsea Foreman, 30, have been actively campaigning for their release.
In a recent joint interview conducted over a prison payphone connected to Lindsay’s son Joe, Lindsay, a psychologist, shared how she copes with the harsh conditions by walking in the prison yard, while Craig, a carpenter, tries to comfort her from his separate wing. Craig, suffering from an untreated tooth abscess, highlighted the violence among inmates and the lack of medical care in the prison.
The couple recounted their initial arrest in Kerman, where they underwent extensive interrogations and were subjected to solitary confinement. Craig revealed the chilling reality of witnessing the execution of four of his cellmates through prison broadcasts, emphasizing the oppressive environment within Evin Prison.
According to human rights organizations, there has been a surge in executions in Iran, with cases of unfair trials and political repression. Criminal psychologist Alex Iszatt explained how mental torture is used as a tool of political terror in such situations, causing psychological suffering not as a side effect but as part of the punishment.
Iran has been accused of holding the couple as bargaining chips, prompting international condemnation and calls for their release. Anoosheh Ashoori, a former inmate of Evin Prison, shared the deplorable conditions inside the facility, including poor hygiene, inadequate medical care, and psychological pressure tactics used by the regime.
Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, has dedicated himself to advocating for his parents’ freedom, navigating the complexities of the conflict between the US and Iran while relentlessly pushing for help and justice for his family.
Efforts by the UK government, including consular assistance and diplomatic interventions, continue to seek the safe return of Lindsay and Craig Foreman to the UK, with officials denouncing their unjust incarceration and pursuing all avenues for their release.
