Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
A British couple imprisoned in Iran on espionage allegations have ended their extended hunger strikes after enduring 93 and 84 days of fasting, respectively. Craig and Lindsay Foreman were detained in January 2025 while traveling through Iran on a motorcycle trip from Europe to Australia. Following their arrest, both were handed 10-year prison sentences in February. However, the family of Craig Foreman later reported that his sentence was increased by an additional two years due to media interactions.
The couple, who both deny the espionage charges, initiated their hunger strike in May in response to the Iranian prison authorities blocking their communication with family members. Their family stated that the protest was also intended to highlight the treatment they and other inmates were subjected to within the prison system. While the Foremans agreed with prison officials to end their fast to regain phone contact with their loved ones, as of Monday afternoon, the family reported that contact had not yet been restored.
During the last five days of the strike, five individuals outside the prison joined the Foremans in solidarity, including Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, and four others in the UK. Prisoners within Tehran’s Evin jail also participated in the collective action. Bennett reflected on their motivation, saying, “My mum and Craig have spent months on hunger strike, and even at the point of bringing it to an end they wanted to make it about something bigger than themselves. Those final five days became about people standing together around values that should be universal: Truth, justice, kindness, peace and unity.” Despite the prolonged fasts during which the couple survived on milk and water with honey or salt, the family remains unaware of their current health condition. Bennett also mentioned the couple had previously undertaken another hunger strike last November as a “cry out for help.”
The family expressed that the collective effort during the final stage of the hunger strike was intended to turn the protest into a more constructive and unifying movement. They recently had meetings with the UK’s first envoy for complex consular cases, Alistair Burt, and the new Middle East minister, Stephen Doughty, which Bennett described as “positive and constructive.” He urged for tangible action, stating, “Now it is time for them to put their warm words into action and reach out to other states for support, reach out to Iran for discussions and name this as the arbitrary detention that it is.” Bennett shared that Sunday marked the first time in three months his parents had eaten solid food, adding, “I will not rest until they can do it at home with us.” Attempts to reach the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for comment were ongoing
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.