LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – On Thursday, British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper strongly criticized the 10-year prison term handed to a British couple in Iran for alleged espionage, labeling it as “completely without justification.” She affirmed the government’s commitment to persistently advocating for their release.

The couple, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, faced espionage charges after Iranian authorities claimed they were collecting sensitive information across various regions in the country.

In her statement, Cooper declared, “We are unwavering in our efforts and will continue to engage with the Iranian government until Craig and Lindsay Foreman are safely back in the UK, reunited with their loved ones.”

The Foremans were apprehended on January 3 of last year while on a global motorcycle expedition through Iran. It wasn’t until the following month that Iranian state media announced their detention, citing espionage accusations. They have now been incarcerated for over 13 months.

TRIAL WITHOUT DEFENSE

Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, noted in a separate statement that the couple underwent a three-hour trial on October 27, during which they were denied the opportunity to defend themselves.

“We have not been presented with any evidence supporting the espionage accusation,” Bennett stated, expressing the family’s grave concerns about the couple’s well-being and the opaque nature of the judicial proceedings.

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

The Iranian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sentencing.

According to a family statement, the couple have been held for extended periods without being able to communicate. They have had limited or delayed access to legal representation, periods of solitary confinement and delays in receiving funds for basic necessities. They also reported disrupted or cancelled consular visits.

Cooper, whose office did not comment on the disruption, said they would continue to provide consular assistance.

Lindsay Foreman has been held in the women’s section of Tehran’s Evin Prison, while her husband Craig has been held in its political wing.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have in recent years detained foreign and dual nationals, typically on espionage or national security charges.

Human rights organizations say the authorities use such arrests as leverage in disputes with other countries, a practice they describe as part of a broader pattern of politically motivated detentions. Tehran has rejected those accusations and said the cases involved legitimate security concerns.