A British couple, arrested in Iran amid their ‘world motorcycle tour', has been sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage. The United Kingdom (UK) government has condemned the sentence.
The couple - Lindsay and Craig Fioreman - both in their fifties, were arrested in January last year. They were travelling through Iran while on their around-the-world motorcycle tour.
The families of the couple have said that the two have consistently denied the allegations of espionage since their arrest.
However, the families maintain that the sentence was delivered on the basis of a 3-hour court hearing in October last year.
“They were not allowed to present any defence,” reported South China Morning Post (SCMP), quoting their son, Joe Bennett.
“They have consistently denied the allegations, and we have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage.”
Bennet stated that the families were deeply concerned about their welfare and about a lack of transparency in the judicial process.
The British government, meanwhile, has pledged to pursue the case “relentlessly” with the Iranian government.
"Until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely return to the UK and reunite with their families,” British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said in a statement.
He termed the sentence “completely appalling and unjustifiable.
“In the meantime, their welfare is our priority, and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families,” reads the statement.
Tehran has meanwhile insisted that the couple are spies, and entered the country “posing as tourists”, and had gathered information before they were arrested.
Lindsay Foreman is currently detained at the women's section of Evin prison in Tehran, even as Craig remains incarcerated in the political wing of the prison. This prison has often been criticised by international human rights organisations for its dire conditions and treatment of the prisoners.
Families of the couple have also raised similar concerns about cramped cells, lack of food, and lack of legal representation. They have urged the UK government to secure their freedom.
Bennet, their son, has said that they were “caught in the middle” of geopolitical tensions between the Western countries and Iran.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.