British couple in Iranian jail begin hunger strike, family says

The family of a British couple detained in Iran say the pair have begun a hunger strike in protest at their imprisonment. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were arrested in January last year while travelling through Iran on a global motorbike journey. They were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they deny.

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According to the family, Craig Foreman is believed to be about 12 days into a hunger strike. They say he started refusing food after phone access was cut off in early May. The family also says Lindsay Foreman, 53, briefly paused a hunger strike after being told she would be able to contact relatives, but has since resumed it.

The Foreign Office says it will continue working to secure their return to the UK, describing their incarceration as appalling and unjustified. Lindsay Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, has called the situation a medical emergency in the making and urged the foreign secretary to act personally and immediately. Before their phone access was cut off, the couple had spoken from Evin prison, where they said they expected to remain for a long time.

The case has become a point of diplomatic concern between London and Tehran because it involves allegations of espionage, a long prison sentence and the welfare of two British nationals held in one of Iran's best-known prisons. Evin prison has long been associated with the detention of political prisoners, foreign nationals and dual nationals, making any case there closely watched by rights groups and governments. The couple's family and supporters are now pressing for urgent intervention while their health is said to be at risk.

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The Foremans were detained while on a motorbike trip that had taken them through several countries, and their family has repeatedly said they were travelling as tourists. In April, a Foreign Office minister described them in parliament as innocent tourists and called their case an injustice. Supporters, including MPs, relatives and friends, are also planning public action to mark 500 days since they were first detained.

What remains unclear is how long the hunger strikes will continue and whether Iranian authorities will restore contact with the family. It is also not known whether the couple's conditions in prison have changed since their phone access was cut off. The immediate focus is on their health, the response from UK officials and whether any diplomatic progress can be made in the coming days.

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