A British couple detained in Iran on spying charges have launched a hunger strike inside Evin prison, according to their son, who said his mother described the protest as her only means of resistance.
Joe Bennett told the BBC that his mother, Lindsay Foreman, said during a brief phone call that “not eating was the only power she’s got” before the line abruptly cut off. Foreman and her husband, Craig, were arrested in January while travelling through Iran on a motorbike tour and deny all charges against them.
The family insists that the pair entered Iran legally with valid visas, a licensed guide and an approved travel plan. They were detained after Foreman asked local residents simple questions for a personal project. The couple were initially held in Kerman, spending 30 days in solitary confinement, before being moved to separate cells in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
Bennett said his mother is now isolated among non-English-speaking inmates, while his stepfather is suffering from an untreated tooth abscess. He added that the couple had been promised a reunion visit last Sunday, but it never happened.
Their trial took place in October amid growing tensions between Tehran and European governments, following new nuclear-related sanctions. Human rights groups say the case appears to follow a pattern of politically motivated detentions used by Iranian authorities as leverage in international disputes — an allegation Iran rejects.
Bennett urged British officials to secure his parents’ release, describing the charges as “completely bonkers.” He said the couple had spoken fondly of Iran before their arrest, calling it “a beautiful country.”
