A British couple imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges they deny have ended a prolonged hunger strike, their family said, after Craig Foreman refused food for 93 days and Lindsay Foreman for 84 days. The pair, from East Sussex, agreed to stop the protest so they could resume phone contact with relatives, though as of Monday afternoon that contact had not yet been restored.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were detained in January 2025 while travelling through Iran on a motorcycle trip from Europe to Australia. Both were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February 2026, and the family has said Craig Foreman's term was later increased by two years after he spoke to journalists, a development covered in an earlier report on the sentence extension.
Why did the couple go on hunger strike?
The Foremans began refusing food in May 2026 after prison authorities blocked their calls to family members, according to their relatives. The family said the protest was aimed at highlighting the treatment of the couple and of other inmates held alongside them.
According to a report from an international Persian-language outlet, the demonstration followed the couple giving an interview to an international broadcaster, after which they were reportedly denied phone calls, visits with each other and meetings with their lawyer. The same report said Lindsay Foreman was described as barely able to walk after roughly three weeks without food.
What condition are the couple in now?
The family said it did not know the current physical state of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who sustained themselves during the strike on milk and either honey or salted water. Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman's son, said the couple had also carried out a shorter hunger strike in November 2025, which he described as a "cry out for help."
Separately, a national broadcaster's report said the weight loss had become severe by the time the strike ended, with Lindsay Foreman said to have lost more than 14kg and Craig Foreman around 16kg, and both reportedly still barred from contacting their children or other loved ones.
In the final five days of the protest, from Tuesday to Saturday, five supporters outside the prison joined the couple in solidarity, the family said. Bennett and four unnamed individuals took part in the UK, while other prisoners inside Tehran's Evin jail also joined in, according to the family and a follow-up account from the same broadcaster.
"My mum and Craig have spent months on hunger strike, and even at the point of bringing it to an end they wanted to make it about something bigger than themselves," Bennett said. "Those final five days became about people standing together around values that should be universal: Truth, justice, kindness, peace and unity."
The family said this closing phase of the strike was intended to shift it "from protest into something constructive and collective." Bennett added that Sunday marked the first time in three months that his mother and Craig Foreman had sat down to eat, saying, "I will not rest until they can do it at home with us."
How has the case drawn international attention?
The couple's detention has previously prompted concern from United Nations human rights experts, who called for their release, as detailed in an earlier account of the UN intervention. According to a UK newspaper report, those experts warned the case raised "grave concerns" about state hostage-taking and described the hunger strike as having reached the stage of a medical emergency.
An appeal against the couple's convictions was reportedly heard on 2 June 2026 and subsequently rejected, according to an online reference source. In February 2026, the UK's Foreign Secretary described the 10-year sentence as "totally unjustifiable," according to a newspaper report from earlier this year. The family had previously described conditions inside Evin prison and their emotional strain in an earlier account from inside Evin prison.
What has the UK government said?
The couple's relatives recently met Alistair Burt, the UK's first envoy for complex consular cases, along with Stephen Doughty, the minister for the Middle East. Bennett described the meetings as "positive and constructive" but said words needed to be matched with action.
"Now it is time for them to put their warm words into action and reach out to other states for support, reach out to Iran for discussions and name this as the arbitrary detention that it is," Bennett said.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said the imprisonment of the couple was "unjustified and appalling" and confirmed that Doughty had briefed the family on the government's efforts to secure their release.
"Craig and Lindsay's health and welfare is our priority," a spokesperson for the department said. "Since their arrest last year, Britain's ambassador to Tehran, diplomats and officials in London have been working to provide consular assistance. This includes the ambassador visiting them in prison and facilitating calls with their family back in the UK."
What happens next?
With the hunger strike over, attention is now focused on restoring the couple's contact with relatives and assessing their health after more than 18 months in custody, according to a live news update from an international outlet. The UK government has said it remains in close contact with the family and continues to provide consular support, though no further court dates have been confirmed in available reporting.
Key Facts
- Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested in Iran in January 2025 during a motorcycle journey from Europe to Australia.
- Both were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February 2026 on espionage charges they deny; an appeal was reportedly denied on 2 June 2026.
- Craig Foreman fasted for 93 days and Lindsay Foreman for 84 days before ending their hunger strike, agreeing to resume contact with family.
- Reported weight loss reached more than 14kg for Lindsay Foreman and around 16kg for Craig Foreman.
- UN human rights experts and the UK Foreign Secretary have both publicly criticised the couple's detention and sentencing.
