Family of Brit jailed in Iran 'flabbergasted' after additional sentence for speaking to media

Craig Foreman and his wife Lindsay, from East Sussex, are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison after they were sentenced to 10 years for an espionage conviction

The family of a British man jailed in Iran have been left “shocked” after they found out he has had his sentence extended.

Craig Foreman and his wife Lindsay, both from East Sussex, were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February after being convicted of espionage. They both deny the charges.

Mr Foreman has now been given an additional two-year sentence for speaking to media outlets, his family say. The Brit and his wife were arrested in January last year while they were travelling through Iran during an around-the-world motorcycle trip.

Both are now being held in Tehran’s Evin prison. The news of the sentence extension have made the couple’s family “extremely concerned”, their son, Joe Bennett, explained.

He said: “We have received extremely concerning reports that Craig has been sentenced to a further two years in prison. We understand he was told he was being taken to see his lawyer but was instead brought before a judge and informed of the additional sentence.

“Despite requests, he was allowed no lawyer, no translator and no opportunity to defend himself. He was told the two years had been added because he had spoken to the press. We didn’t think we could be any more shocked at their appalling treatment, but in this case we are absolutely flabbergasted.”

According to the family, the couple lost an appeal against their convictions in June. They were also reportedly unable to attend the appeal hearing. Mr Bennett said his father was on the 68th day of a hunger strike, while his mother was on her 59th.

Their family said a letter asking them to end their hunger strike had not been delivered. Mr Bennett added: “We are asking, with everything we have, for them to be shown mercy and allowed to come home.”

Their family also welcomed the appointment of Conservative former MP and Middle East minister Alistair Burt as the UK’s first envoy for complex consular cases. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns all British and British-Iranian nationals not to travel to Iran because of a “significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention”.

The Government previously described the couple’s 10-year sentences as “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable”. The Mirror has approached the FCDO for comment.