Craig Foreman’s prison sentence in Iran has been extended by two years, according to his family. The reported addition comes while Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman are both on hunger strike and already serving 10-year terms.
Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son and family spokesperson, said Craig Foreman was told he was being taken to see his lawyer but was instead brought before a judge and informed of the extra punishment. “We understand he was told he was being taken to see his lawyer but was instead brought before a judge and informed of the additional sentence,” Bennett said.
Joe Bennett on Evin prison
Bennett said Craig Foreman was allowed no lawyer, no translator and no opportunity to defend himself. He also said the family had been told the new punishment was linked to speaking to the media from Evin prison in Tehran.
That reported sequence matters because the family says the extension followed a judge’s hearing rather than a hearing with any basic defence rights. Bennett said: “We didn't think we could be any more shocked at their appalling treatment, but in this case we are absolutely flabbergasted.”
Hunger strike and health concerns
Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman began their hunger strike in May after prison authorities prevented them from calling their families. Last week HRANA said it had received information that Craig Foreman had lost about 16kg and that Lindsay Foreman was suffering from dizziness and body tremors.
The family has also said a letter asking Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman to end their hunger strike had not been delivered, and that medication and other basic supplies had not been delivered. Bennett said: “My mum and Craig are 18 months into an ordeal they should never have known.”
Two United Nations human rights experts called on Iran last month to release Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman, saying proceedings against the couple had been marked by grave irregularities. Dr Alice Edwards said: “Lindsay and Craig Foreman should not be in prison” and added that they “appear to have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted on highly questionable grounds, and sentenced after proceedings that failed to meet basic fair trial guarantees.”
The Iranian sentence extension
The family says the reported two-year extension lengthens an already decade-long prison term for Craig Foreman. Bennett said: “They are weak, they are hungry, and now Craig is being punished simply for being heard. To add two more years to an innocent man's sentence, in secret and with no chance to defend himself, is a flagrant abuse of the most basic rights any person is owed.”
Have the Iranian authorities formally explained the reported extension and the charge behind it. For Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman, that unanswered point now sits alongside a hunger strike, a 10-year sentence each, and a family waiting for some sign that the punishment will not grow again.
