Fears grow for British couple after almost two months on hunger strike in Iranian jail
Fears are growing for a British couple detained in Iran who have not eaten in nearly two months after their contact with family was cut off.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, have been on hunger strike for 55 and 46 days respectively in protest at their treatment inside Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
The couple were arrested on a once-in-a-lifetime world motorbike tour 18 months ago, and were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they completely deny.
UN human rights experts have demanded their urgent release, and warned that their incarceration raises grave concerns about state hostage-taking, adding that their hunger strike has reached the stage of a “medical emergency”.
Friends and family are now so concerned for the couple’s wellbeing that they are drafting a letter, signed by loved ones, imploring them to halt their protest in order to protect their health.
Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, told The Independent that he doesn’t “want to think about the worst happening”, adding: “My biggest concern is time. As each day passes, it’s a day closer to potential harm.”
Prolonged hunger strikes can lead to muscle wastage, organ damage, and, in the worst case, death. After several weeks without food, the body will likely have used up all of its fat reserves and begun to consume muscle tissue – which includes the heart – in order to survive. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause irreversible brain damage.
The Foremans have survived on just water, with a little milk and honey, since their strike began.
At a meeting with the British ambassador Hugo Shorter in mid-June, Ms Foreman was said to be alarmingly weak and much thinner.
Mr Bennett added: “The concern, for us, is that at some point we are going to get a call saying Craig or Mum has been hospitalised. It’s hard because we are just concerned for their health. It’s a hell of a long time that they have been on [hunger strike] now – [for] Craig [it’s] almost two months.
“Don’t get me wrong, the human body is incredible – it’s resilient and built for survival. I have done research on hunger strikes and what is needed for longevity, and no doubt my mum has done the same.
“As the days go on, family and friends grow more and more concerned that one day the body will say it can’t go on.”
Fears for the couple’s wellbeing have been compounded by weeks without proper contact, after their phone calls were cut off in May. The family have had to rely on snatched messages – which take weeks to arrive – to get basic information.
In a letter from Evin prison forwarded by a kind stranger last week, Ms Foreman revealed her dedication to what she called the couple’s “freedom fast”.
