Iran charges British couple with espionage

Iranian authorities have filed espionage charges against a British couple detained in January, as reported by local media citing Iran's Judiciary spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir.

According to him, a man and a woman, reportedly a married couple, were arrested by the intelligence forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in the southern province of Kerman.

“These two British citizens were arrested while they were gathering information in Kerman city and taken into custody by the provincial intelligence agencies during a series of coordinated operations. They are accused of espionage, having connections to intelligence agencies of hostile countries, and collecting information from various Iranian provinces,” – Jahangir stated with no further details.

He noted that the intelligence services' surveillance confirmed that these individuals, who appeared to be conducting research, were actually gathering information for organizations allegedly linked to the intelligence agencies of “hostile countries.”

"We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran," a British Foreign Office spokesman said Tuesday. "We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities."

Last week, British Ambassador to Iran, Hugo Shorter, visited the two detainees in Kerman. The meeting was arranged at the ambassador's request

The Foreign Office stated that it is providing consular assistance to the couple and maintaining close contact with their family.

Following the couple's arrest, their family issued a statement identified the detained persons as Craig and Lindsay Foreman: “This unexpected turn of events has caused significant concern for our entire family, and we are fully focused on ensuring their safety and well-being during this difficult time.”

The two were reportedly traveling around the world on motorbikes when they were detained in January. British media, citing social media posts, reported that they had crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30 and were planning to enter Pakistan next.

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