Dear Friends,
We thought it was important to give you an update on developments with Lindsay and Craig in the past few weeks.
Over the past several weeks, both have faced repeated broken promises, including being denied their weekly phone call home and being prevented from seeing each other, despite the visit having been formally approved. Last Sunday, Craig reportedly waited for two hours for a visit that never happened, with no explanation given.
This series of broken commitments pushed them to a point of deep frustration. As Lindsay told Joe:
“I’m just fed up with all the broken promises.”
In response, and as a last resort to draw attention to their treatment, Lindsay and Craig began a hunger strike. Lindsay explained her decision with heartbreaking clarity:
“I’ll eat when I see my husband. I will speak when I can speak with my family.”
“My choice of what to eat is all I have left… I’m choosing not to eat because it’s all I have.”
She also shared the mindset she is having to rely on just to get through each day:
“Right now, I’m focusing on my mental strength, my emotional strength, my spiritual strength… because physically, I know what my body is capable of. Right now, it’s me against them.”
This act of peaceful resistance, an act of sheer desperation, did have an effect.
Following the hunger strike, Lindsay was finally permitted a phone call with Joe, and arrangements were made for her and Craig to see each other. With these developments, the hunger strike ended. The family is relieved, but the emotional toll of this past few week cannot be overstated.
This past Sunday the ambassador visited and they would have received letters from loved ones. The Ambassador reported back that they are looking thin.
As ever, we will continue raising awareness, increasing our social media visibility, and keeping pressure on those in positions of responsibility. We are not slowing down - not until Lindsay and Craig are safely home.
Thank you for your compassion, your strength, and your solidarity. It means more than you know.