British couple jailed in Iran over spying charges end 3-month hunger strike, family demands release
British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman, jailed in Iran on espionage charges they deny, have ended their hunger strike after 93 and 84 days respectively, the BBC reported.The couple, from East Sussex, were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran on motorcycles as part of a journey from Europe to Australia. They were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February after being convicted of espionage.
Protest over prison conditions
The Foremans began their hunger strike in May after Iranian prison authorities stopped them from contacting their families. Their relatives said the protest was also aimed at highlighting the treatment of the couple and other prisoners.According to the family, the couple agreed with prison guards to end the strike in the hope of regaining direct contact with their loved ones. However, as of Monday afternoon, communication had not yet been restored.The couple had previously staged a separate hunger strike in November in what their family described as a “cry out for help”.
Family joins final five-day fast
Five people outside Tehran’s Evin prison joined the couple in a five-day fast in solidarity, including Lindsay Foreman’s son Joe Bennett.Bennett said his mother and Craig wanted the final days of the protest to highlight broader issues of truth, justice, kindness, peace and unity.The family said the couple had survived largely on milk and water mixed with either honey or salt during their hunger strike, but said they did not know their current condition.
Family seeks UK intervention
Bennett said the couple ate together on Sunday for the first time in about three months, but warned that recovering from such a prolonged hunger strike would be difficult.The family has urged the UK government to intervene and seek the couple’s release. Relatives recently met the UK’s envoy for complex consular cases, Alistair Burt, and the Middle East minister, Stephen Doughty, describing the discussions as “positive and constructive”.Craig Foreman’s family has also alleged that his sentence was extended by two years after he spoke to the media. His legal team has said the additional sentence would be included in a complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
