Craig and Lindsay Foreman, two British citizens, have been on hunger strike in an Iranian prison after being sentenced to 10 years on espionage charges in February 2026, charges they deny [1, 2]. Lindsay Foreman has refused food for over 30 days, while Craig Foreman has been on hunger strike for more than 20 days [1, 2].
U.N. human rights experts Alice Jill Edwards and Mai Sato have flagged the situation as a medical emergency. They said, "After 30 days without food, this is a medical emergency. Lindsay and Craig Foreman should not be in prison. They appear to have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted on highly questionable grounds, and sentenced after proceedings that failed to meet basic fair trial guarantees" [1].
The Foremans' family disclosed that an appeal hearing was held earlier this month without their knowledge and with limited information provided [1, 2]. The family has criticized the UK government, accusing it of insufficient effort and claiming the couple are being used as "human shields" amid regional conflicts [1, 2].
Both the British government and U.N. experts have called for the Foremans’ immediate release, describing their detention as wrongful [1, 2]. Separately, U.N. experts have condemned a pattern of politically motivated detention of foreign nationals by Iranian authorities [1, 2].
The Iranian mission in Geneva has not responded to requests for comment on the case [1, 2].
The hunger strike and lack of transparency around the appeal process add urgency to calls from international rights bodies. The next concrete development is unclear, but recent family revelations and ongoing protests highlight escalating concerns for the Foremans’ health and legal treatment.
