UN experts demand Iranians free British hostage couple

Key Points:

• UN human rights experts Dr Alice Edwards and Mai Sato have called for the release of British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who were sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian jail on spying charges amid claims of grave irregularities in their trial.
• The Foremans, detained in January 2025 during a motorcycle trip through Iran, deny any wrongdoing and are currently on hunger strike in Tehran's Evin prison after losing phone contact with their family.
• The UN experts criticized the legal proceedings as lacking fair trial guarantees and expressed concern that the couple may be held as political leverage, urging Iranian authorities to overturn their convictions.
• The UK government has been urged to use all diplomatic channels to secure the couple's release, with the Foreign Office affirming ongoing efforts to ensure their safe return.
• Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, highlighted the couple's inability to attend their appeal hearing and emphasized the family's confusion over the legal process, while continuing to campaign for their freedom.