Marking their wedding anniversary outside Britain’s Foreign Office in central London was never what Vahid Beheshti and his wife Mattie Heaven could have imagined.
But almost six weeks into his hunger strike campaign, the occasion afforded them a rare moment of celebration.
Mr Beheshti, a British-Iranian national who is urging the UK government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, praised his wife for being his “main supporter” throughout his ordeal.
While ministers continue to resist his pleas to place the IRGC in the same category as Al Qaeda and ISIS, Mr Beheshti said he feels encouraged by signs he has seen from politicians.
The couple spoke to The National about their shared passions for activism, human rights campaigning and their marital bond.
‘Emotional day’
On Wednesday, the 45-year-old will rack up his 42nd day without food. His daily diet of coffee, water and sugar cubes has caused his weight to plummet by 13kg and his energy to wane.
A picture Mr Beheshti shared on day 40 of his campaign shows him noticeably thinner compared to the smiling groom in his wedding day photos.
Despite the difficulty of watching her husband grow weaker by the day, Ms Heaven said they found a way to mark their “special day” in a unique way.
“It’s quite emotional, in terms of I wasn’t thinking or expecting that we would be here in 40 days,” she said.
“It’s really about how many days he’s been on hunger strike, rather than my anniversary day. It was our 15th [anniversary].”
Ms Heaven shared a heart-warming photo of her hugging and kissing her husband, and said they “spent our special day opposite the Foreign Office calling on the UK government to proscribe the IRGC”.
Mr Beheshti lauded his wife, whom he said has been his rock during the highs and lows of his campaign.
He grew emotional as he recalled his “most unforgettable wedding anniversary” and credited Ms Heaven for being his “main supporter all the way”.
After fleeing his homeland 24 years ago to set up a new life in the UK, Mr Beheshti said his wife understands his reasons for resorting to such drastic action.
The journalist and campaigner was twice detained by the IRGC in his country and said he is outraged by the Iranian regime's attempts to silence critics in Britain.
“I said to her, ‘we need to pay the price for what we have here and we are not going to let them come and take this away from us here in the heart of Europe,'” he said.
Iran has been behind 15 credible threats to kill or abduct British citizens or UK-based people since last year, according to Security Minister Tom Tugendhat.
Proud wife
Ms Heaven, a Conservative councillor in Coventry, central England, admitted she was initially “shocked” by her husband’s idea to go on hunger strike, but swiftly put her fears to the side and threw herself behind his drive for change.
“I feel proud because I know he’s speaking for the people of Iran and here too,” Ms Heaven said with a smile.
“It is very difficult to still be here after 40 days and seeing how his body has shrunk.
“I fear for his health but I still fear more about the threat of IRGC here in our country.”
As a fellow native of Iran, she fully understands his reasons.
While her husband continues to fast and campaign on the pavement outside the Foreign Office, Ms Heaven holds meetings with MPs to keep up the pressure for a proscription.
The couple, along with friends, feel threatened by the IRGC in the UK, she said.
“I hope the action is taken much sooner before we get to a stage that he’s physically, totally damaged,” Ms Heaven said.
“We see that these people are now influencing here in this country and radicalising people. It’s very obvious and I feel quite strongly that we need to take action sooner.
“And that’s why I fully support him, even though it’s really devastating to see how his body has been affected by it, but we need to take action.”
IRGC ‘mafia’
Mr Beheshti has dark memories of being detained by the IRGC in his native Iran where he worked as a human rights activist and journalist.
He cited Iranian death threats towards people in the UK and the forced closure of Iran International television channel studio in London as the most pressing reasons behind his decision to go on hunger strike.
While his push for a proscription has yet to prove fruitful, Mr Beheshti said he has been encouraged by the signs he is seeing from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government.
“I think it’s great movement,” he said.
“I’m moving forward and by now, after 40 days, they understand I won’t go anywhere.
“I am here to show them there are still people in the world who are willing to pay the price, whatever it is, to defend our values, to defend our freedom and democracy.”
But he warned the UK’s hesitation to place the IRGC on the terror list risks having potentially lethal consequences for the safety of Britons.
“They understand there’s a price for it so they might lose one of their citizens and that’s going to be very heavy for them,” he said.
“Or they’re going to lose me because I’m not going to give up.
“As long as we are carrying on with our appeasement policy they will carry on with their hostage taking policy. They only understand one language. I am from there, I know their nature.
“They only understand pressure and a strong leadership. We need to show strong leadership in front of these terrorists and to stand strong for our safety and security here, to defend and preserve our British values here.
“When I moved here I can say, from someone who had no rights for the past 24 years, I tasted my most basic human rights, I tasted the freedom and democracy.
“I tasted these values and I decided I’m going to stand by them [with] all my being and defend them and preserve them. And that’s why I’m here.
Mr Beheshti said his life was in “great danger” when he lived in Iran.
“Twice I was arrested by IRGC and their agent bodyguard. They are like a mafia group to protect the [1979 Islamic] revolution of Iran.”
Mr Beheshti met with Mr Tugendhat to discuss his campaign. He claimed the minister told him the government was aiming to proscribe the IRGC.
However, a Home Office source disputed his claim.
“The Security Minister met with Mr Beheshti to hear more about his campaign and express concern for his health,” the insider told The National.
“The Minister shares Mr Beheshti’s concerns about the grave threat posed by the Iranian regime. He did not comment on the government's position regarding proscription of the IRGC.”
A spokesperson for the UK government said: “Whilst the government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not comment on whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.”
