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 Iran's southeastern city of Kerman on security-related charges.
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, the statement credited to the judiciary media center also alleged that "these individuals were cooperating with covert institutions linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries under the guise of research and investigation activities".
"According to the observations of intelligence and security institutions, the connection of these individuals with several institutions affiliated with intelligence services has been confirmed, and additional investigations are ongoing in this regard," according to a post online from the news agency. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
