British Couple on Hunger Strike in Iranian Jail

The family of a British couple imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges said the pair have begun a hunger strike to demand their release.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, residents of East Sussex, were arrested in January 2024 while traveling through Iran on a global motorcycle journey.

In February, an Iranian court sentenced the couple to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they vehemently deny.

The Foreign Office condemned their incarceration as ‘appalling and unjustified’ and stated it would continue efforts to secure their safe return.

Craig Foreman began a hunger strike 12 days ago after authorities cut off the couple’s phone access in early May, according to sources.

Lindsay Foreman, 53, initially paused her hunger strike after being told she could contact her family but has since resumed, sources confirmed to the family.

Their son, Joe Bennett, described the food refusal as ‘a medical emergency in the making.’

He added: ‘I understand British politics is in an extraordinary moment. But my mum and Craig cannot wait for Westminster to resolve its own crisis.’

‘Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper must act personally and immediately. This cannot be delayed. This cannot be deprioritised. Two lives are at stake.’

Before losing phone access, the couple told the BBC from Tehran’s Evin prison that they expected to be there ‘for a long time.’

‘I just feel that we’re wasting our lives in here and rotting away,’ Craig Foreman said. ‘We are innocent people. We have committed no offence.’

Members of the adventure motorcycle community plan to ride from Kensington Palace to Parliament Square on Wednesday to mark 500 days since the couple’s detention.

Supporters, including MPs, relatives, and friends, plan to deliver a petition to Downing Street urging ‘urgent action’ to return the Foremans to the UK.

Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer described the couple as ‘innocent tourists’ and called their detention an ‘injustice’ in an April address to Parliament.