Yesterday we had another meeting with the Foreign Office, and I came away from it deeply frustrated.
We continue to be told that everything possible is being done for Mum and Craig. I want to believe that, and I recognise that the Foreign Secretary has now had high-level engagements on their case. That matters, and it is right that those conversations are happening.
But at the same time, there are still important questions we cannot get satisfactory answers to.
For months, we as a family, alongside lawyers and others supporting us, have asked about approaches including arbitrary detention and diplomatic protection. We are not pretending these are simple buttons that can be pressed and suddenly bring Mum and Craig home. We understand diplomacy does not work like that.
But these are serious diplomatic avenues, and after everything Mum and Craig have endured, we believe we deserve a clear explanation of why they are not being pursued, or what would need to change for them to be considered.
Being told repeatedly that “everything is being done” becomes increasingly difficult to accept when legitimate questions about what else could be done remain unanswered.
That is why 21 October now feels even more important.
On that day, we will be delivering the petition to both Downing Street and the Foreign Office, carrying the voices of everyone who has signed it directly to the heart of Government.
I have also proposed 21 October as the date for the meeting we have been asking for with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. I sincerely hope that invitation is accepted.
Either way, we will be there.
And I would love as many of you as possible to join us.
This is an opportunity to stand together, peacefully and visibly, and remind those making the decisions that behind all the meetings, diplomatic language and processes are two real people, two families waiting for them, and thousands of people who refuse to allow them to be forgotten.
If you can be there on the 21st, please come. Every person standing alongside us makes that message harder to ignore. Please copy the link below;
And finally, something I always find difficult to write about.
Keeping all of this moving comes with costs. Events, campaigning, travel, materials and the countless practical things happening behind the scenes all add up, particularly as this continues far longer than any of us ever imagined.
I never want anyone to feel under pressure to contribute financially. Your signatures, messages, sharing of our story and simply continuing to stand with Mum and Craig already mean enormously to us.
But for those who have asked how else they can help, or who are in a position to support the campaign financially, the GoFundMe remains there. Anything contributed simply helps us keep going, keep showing up and keep making sure their case is heard.
For everyone who has donated, signed, shared, attended an event, written a letter or spoken Mum and Craig’s names over these past months: thank you.
We have had difficult days. Yesterday was one of them.
But frustration does not mean we stop.
On 21 October, we show up again.