‘I don’t want to think about the worst happening’: Fears grow for British couple after almost two months on hunger strike in Iranian jail

Fears are increasing for the British couple detained in Iran, who have not eaten for nearly two months after losing contact with their family.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, have been on hunger strike for 55 and 46 days respectively to protest their treatment in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.

The couple were arrested 18 months ago during a once-in-a-lifetime world motorcycle tour and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they completely denied.

UN human rights experts demanded their immediate release and warned that their detention raised serious concerns about state hostage-taking, adding that the hunger strikes had reached the stage of a “medical emergency”.

Friends and family are now so concerned about the couple’s health that they are drafting a letter signed by their loved ones, urging them to stop their protests to protect their health.

Lindsay’s son Joe Bennett told Independent Stating that he “doesn’t want to think about the worst,” he said, “My biggest concern is time. Every day is one day closer to potential harm.”

Prolonged hunger strikes can lead to muscle wasting, organ damage and, in the worst case scenario, death. After a few weeks without food, the body has probably exhausted all of its fat reserves to survive and has begun to deplete muscle tissue, including the heart. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause irreversible brain damage.

The Foremans have been surviving on just water, some milk and honey since the strike began.

At a meeting with the British ambassador Hugo Shorter in mid-June, Ms. Foreman was told that she was alarmingly thin and much thinner.

Mr Bennett added: “The concern for us is that at some point we get a phone call saying either Craig or Mum have been admitted to hospital. “It’s difficult because we’re just concerned about their health. “They’ve been in this situation for so long. [hunger strike] Now – [for] Craig [it’s] almost two months.

“Don’t get me wrong, the human body is incredible; it is resilient and built to survive. I did my research on hunger strikes and what is needed for longevity, and no doubt my mother did the same.

“As the days go by, family and friends become increasingly worried that one day the body will tell you it can’t go on.”

Fears for the couple’s health were compounded by a lack of proper contact for weeks after phone calls stopped in May. The family had to rely on snatched messages that took weeks to arrive to get basic information.

In a letter sent from Evin prison by a kind-hearted stranger last week, Ms Foreman laid out her commitment to what the couple called a “fast for freedom”.

“We continue because we need to expose the corruption and oppression in this country,” he wrote. “The reality of injustice that thousands of innocent people suffer every day. We hope that our short-term, temporary suffering can contribute to a long-term, permanent solution to the injustice and lies endured by Iranians and foreigners alike.”

“We want to continue our mission to do good in the world, to fight for what is important in life: freedom, family and love.”

Mrs. Foreman insisted that she and her husband’s bodies would heal from the ordeal and that they would live long, happy lives knowing that they were dedicated to making a difference.

But Mr Bennett hopes his mother and stepfather will reconsider after receiving an intervention letter from worried loved ones.

“We actually want to make sure they get home and that the worst doesn’t happen,” he said. “We will always respect their decisions because none of us will ever truly understand what it is like to be in their situation.

“I hope this will have the impact needed and they will eventually come around. [hunger strike].”

He also noted the “staggering” lack of government action to help secure his parents’ release.

Last month, Independent As it emerged that Iran wanted to return an Iranian national who had been languishing in a maximum security British prison for 23 years, the couple called on British officials to consider a swap.

Mr Foreman believes there may be “only one way” to negotiate the release of Iranian pervert Richard Jan, who is being held in Britain, after his case was raised by guards at a consular meeting.

Jan’s imprisonment was also brought up in negotiations over the extradition of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years before she was finally released after the British government paid off a £400 million arms debt to the country.

A UK government spokesman insisted that “allegations of a potential swap arrangement are in no way true”. But Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy admitted “arrangements could be made” when asked about the issue on Sky News.

Despite Mr. Lammy’s comments, State Department officials continued to insist in discussions with the Foreman family that the idea had no credibility.

“I don’t know what’s needed to turn the dial for them to address this,” said Mr. Bennett, who called for urgent action to help his family. “We want to see their advocacy,” he said. “Them [the government] We did not have the courage to call this arbitrary detention. “We have a UN special rapporteur who described this as hostage taking.”

He added: “I think they should be ashamed for not doing more and not being more authoritarian.”

Independent He contacted the State Department for comment.