People walk past a mural depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

A British couple held in Iran have lost their appeal against a 10-year ​prison sentence, their family said on Tuesday, adding that ‌the pair were not allowed to attend the hearing and had little information about the proceedings.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman were sentenced to 10 years in a ​Tehran prison last year after Iran charged them with ​espionage, which they deny.

The family said the appeal was ⁠conducted without their knowledge and the couple had been asked to ​sign documents in Farsi that they could not read.

“They were not ​permitted to attend their own appeal hearing,” Lindsay Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said in a statement, adding that the family did not know whether the ​couple had received a proper account of the case presented ​for them.

Iran’s judiciary did not immediately respond to a call for comment from ‌Reuters.

Britain’s ⁠foreign ministry said: “We are disappointed by the appeal decision and will continue working to ensure that Craig and Lindsay are returned safely to the UK.”

Bennett said the case had now been referred to ​Iran’s Supreme Court ​but that ⁠the process and timeline remained unclear, adding that the couple were effectively without legal representation.

He also said ​the pair were on hunger strike in protest.

The ​British ⁠government has previously called the Foremans’ sentence “totally unjustifiable” and said it would continue to press for their release. The family has criticized the government’s ⁠response, ​saying earlier this year the couple were being ​used as “human shields” during conflict in the region.