Around the world motorcycle trips are the things of legend. Hell, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman made an entire career spanning their travels to and from the far reaches of our pale blue dot. But these trips often need months of careful planning, maps that portray accurate information, and work in conjunction with embassies around the world.
Why do so much legwork before you set off, you ask? Because if you don’t, you’re liable to end up in a conflict zone, find your way on the wrong side of the law, or, in the case of two British motorcyclists, arrested in Iran and charged with espionage.
Honestly, I’m not sure a pitstop in Tehran was the smartest decision when planning their trip. And to which they’re now paying the price for, as in the pair was just sentenced to 10 years in jail due to their alleged actions within the space.
According to Britain’s Independent, “British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, have been sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian prison on espionage charges, which they vehemently deny.” The pair were on an around-the-world tour when they entered Iran in January of 2025. They were subsequently arrested and thrown into the country’s Evin prison, which is said to be one of the world’s worst prisons.
The duo was then charged with espionage, and only recently were they sentenced to 10 years after a court found them guilty. Now, Iranian courtrooms, especially when it comes to foreigners entering the country and being charged with spy-related activities is dubious at best. And with the world on edge with Iran and the United States going tit-for-tat with their saber rattling, which has a real possibility of kicking off, the two are likely pawns in a far larger game.
The Independent later goes on to state, “[Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the sentence as ‘completely appalling and totally unjustifiable,’ pledging to work relentlessly for their safe return to the UK.” How that process works out now that the US and Iran are inches away from a full-on conflict is anyone’s guess.
But again, these types of trips have to be meticulous in their preparations. You can’t just go anywhere you want, and Iran, while supposedly beautiful and full of wonderful regular people, is tightly controlled by the ruling power. Foreigners, especially those of the US, UK, and other Western powers, are more obvious targets for this type of harassment and detainment. Personally, I would’ve gone around until something changes in the country or on the world stage.