British prisoner in Iran urges Starmer to ‘step out of shadows’
A British man jailed on espionage charges in Iran called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step out of the shadows and publicly declare that he and his wife are innocent.
A British man jailed on espionage charges in Iran called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step out of the shadows and publicly declare that he and his wife are innocent.
Craig Foreman, speaking in a voice message recorded from Evin prison, said he and his wife Lindsay were facing worsening conditions more than three weeks into US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
“My name is Craig Foreman… We are both currently serving 14 months into a 10-year prison sentence… for crimes that were never committed,” Foreman said, adding that the case against them was built on “falsified evidence.”
The couple were sentenced in February after Iranian authorities accused them of spying for Britain and Israel, allegations they have consistently denied.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their 50s, were arrested in January 2025 while on a motorcycle trip through Iran.
“We are proud to be British, but by now we feel let down, alone, and completely frustrated by the lack of public defence,” Foreman said.
“You know we are innocent. Go public with the information you have to clearly step up, step out of the shadows and help us.”
Prison conditions deteriorate
Foreman described an increasingly dangerous environment inside Evin prison, where nearby explosions earlier in March shattered windows and forced detainees to take cover.
“We are now in a prison in a war zone. We have gone from a challenging situation to a life-threatening situation,” Foreman said. “Our lives are constantly at risk.”
He added that the couple had received “zero information” from British authorities about contingency plans if conditions worsen.
Family members echoed those concerns. Joe Bennett, Foreman’s stepson, said officials had avoided publicly asserting the couple’s innocence despite being aware of the circumstances of their case.
“They are not spies, and our government knows that,” Bennett said, describing worsening physical and psychological conditions in detention.
Government response
Britain’s foreign ministry has previously called the sentences “totally unjustifiable” and said supporting detained nationals remains a priority.
The case has drawn renewed attention as security conditions in Iran have deteriorated, with foreign nationals advised to leave and diplomatic staff periodically withdrawn.
Rights groups and Western governments have long accused Iran of engaging in so-called “hostage diplomacy” by detaining foreign nationals to gain political or economic concessions, an allegation Tehran rejects, saying it faces Western intelligence infiltration.
