British Couple Held in Iran Continue Hunger Strike as Health Deteriorates and Supplies Are Withheld

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple detained in Iran since January 2025, remain on an extended hunger strike while facing denied access to medications and medical supplies. Lindsay has lost more than 14kg and now suffers severe vertigo and tremors, while Craig has shed approximately 16kg. The couple's family reports they have been barred from contacting their children for months and are receiving no consular support beyond embassy promises.

Detention and Charges

The East Sussex pair were arrested in January while traveling through Iran on a round-the-world motorbike journey. Authorities charged them with espionage, allegations both have consistently denied. In June, the couple lost their appeal against a 10-year prison sentence, a verdict that prompted their decision to refuse food as a protest against their confinement conditions and treatment.

Craig initiated his hunger strike after prison officials cut off his phone access, while Lindsay began refusing meals weeks later in solidarity and over broader complaints about detention circumstances. According to reports from the Human Rights Activists News Agency, neither individual has received the medication, eyeglasses, books, or hygiene products that were formally delivered to Iranian authorities by the British Embassy in Tehran.

Family Campaign and Health Crisis

Lindsay's son Joe Bennett traveled to Westminster on Wednesday to petition Members of Parliament for intervention. Bennett stated he has not spoken directly with either parent in months and expressed alarm over the scale of withheld medical care. He described public support for their case as "phenomenal," noting that petitions, donations, and constituent letters to MPs have sustained the family through difficult periods.

The combination of prolonged starvation and denied medical access has created what the family characterizes as a life-threatening situation. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that the couple's health and welfare remain its priority, with Britain's Ambassador to Tehran and officials in London continuing diplomatic efforts. However, no concrete timeline for resolution or release has been announced.