British couple detained in Iran charged with espionage

The British couple detained in Iran have been charged with espionage, according to the Iranian judiciary news agency.

The pair, named by their family on Monday as Craig and Lindsay Foreman, are accused of "cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries".

Iranian state media said last week that the couple were in custody in the southeastern city of Kerman on security-related charges.

The UK's Foreign Office said it was "deeply concerned" by reports of the espionage charge.

"We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities," it said in a statement. "We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members."

According to Ms Foreman's social media, the couple were on a motorbiking trip across the globe to Australia as part of a positive psychology mission.

On Tuesday the Mizan news agency quoted a spokesperson for the judiciary who said the couple "were monitored with the cooperation of security agencies and arrested".

The statement, translated from Persian, claimed that "the individuals entered Iran under the guise of tourists and, under the guise of investigative and research work, have collected information in several provinces of the country".

Without revealing sources, officials also allege that "these individuals were cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries".

"The connection of these individuals with several institutions affiliated with intelligence services has been confirmed," the statement added.

State media published a photograph reportedly showing the couple meeting the UK's ambassador to Iran Hugo Shorter last Wednesday.

Two people sitting across a table, opposite to Mr Shorter, could not be identified as their faces were blurred.

In December, Ms Foreman posted about how they were about to face "one of the most challenging" parts of their trip: Iran and Pakistan and issued an update in January about her visit to Isfahan, a city in central Iran.

The couple had planned to travel to the Balochistan province of Pakistan, but had been warned by Khalid Mehmood, 30, about the potential dangers.

He told Sky News he advised the couple against visiting some cities "because they are not safe".

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The Foreign Office is currently warning people not to travel to Iran, because of the risk of "arrest, detention and a death sentence". It also advises against all travel to Balochistan, except the province's southern coast.

A Foreign Office spokesperson previously said: "We are providing consular assistance to two British nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities."

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of foreign visitors and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.

Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on trumped up charges.

British-Iranian dual nationals like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori are among those who have spent years behind bars in Iran before diplomatic negotiations helped secure their release.