UK condemns 10-year sentence for British couple in Iran

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Thursday condemned as "totally unjustifiable" the 10-year sentence given to a British couple in Iran for spying, saying the government would continue to press for their release. Craig and Lindsay Foreman had been charged with espionage after Iran accused them of gathering information in several parts of the country.



"We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family," Cooper said in a statement.



The Foremans were arrested on January 3 of last year while travelling through Iran on a global motorcycle journey. Iranian state media announced their detention the following month over espionage charges and they have now been held for more than 13 months.



Joe Bennett, Lindsay's son, said in a separate statement the couple had appeared at a three-hour trial on October 27, in which they were not allowed to present a defence.



"We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage," he said, adding that the family was deeply concerned about the couple's welfare and the lack of transparency in the judicial process.



Bennett called on the British government to "act decisively and use every available avenue" to secure their release.