British-Iranian hunger striker Vahid Beheshti delivered a letter to King Charles III and met senior members of the royal family in a boost to his morale after 70 days without food.
The human rights activist, who is campaigning to have the UK proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, and his wife Mattie Heaven were guests at a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
Mr Beheshti, who is too weak to walk, used the opportunity to explain his reasons for opposing the IRGC.
He spoke to Queen Consort Camilla, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and royal aides about his movement before returning to his tent opposite the Foreign Office to continue his hunger strike.
The campaigner brought with him a handwritten letter addressed to King Charles, outlining the reasons behind his hunger strike. He said he felt encouraged when he gave it to an aide who promised to deliver it to the monarch.
“It was really hard,” he told The National. “When I came [back to my camp] I was shaking for one hour but I am glad that I went.
“I spoke to a few people and the most important thing is I handed my letter to someone who I know now gave it straight to the king. I am trying to use any opportunity that I have to raise awareness … until I can't talk. I don't know how long this is going to go for.”
During their brief chat, Queen Consort Camilla enquired about his well-being.
“She came and she shook my hand and said, 'how are you?' I said, 'I am OK'. They all knew me and Mattie. We have been all over the news,” Mr Beheshti explained.
He said Sophie — the wife of Prince Edward — was surprised when he told her he had been sleeping on a pavement opposite government buildings in central London for the past 10 weeks.
“She asked me where I live,” he said. “I said, 'King Charles Street for the past 70 days'. And then she said, 'now you are here!'
“She understood where I was coming from. She understood [I am on hunger strike].”
Mr Beheshti said his doctor has warned him that more than two months without eating had inflicted damage on his body that could be impossible to reverse. Despite the risks, he remains determined to continue his fast.
The garden party took place as tens of thousands of royal fans began to descend on London ahead of the coronation on Saturday.
The royal visit and a rally against the IRGC that took place in London last week have offered him hope that his voice is being heard.
“They all are achievements,” he said. “I don't call them great achievements because a great achievement for me is proscription. That's the main one.”
Mr Beheshti said he was unsure whether he would feel fit to attend, given that he has lost more than 17kg since beginning his fast. He secured the spot at the party after his wife, a Conservative councillor, was invited to attend with a plus-one.
Anti-IRGC hunger striker Vahid Beheshti - in pictures
In a Twitter post, Ms Heaven said it was not easy for her husband to go to the event.
Since Mr Beheshti began his strike more than two months ago, The National has documented his push to persuade UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
His appearance at the palace marks a significant step in his campaign, which has attracted support from cross-party MPs, and anti-Iran protesters in the UK and overseas.
The human rights activist, a native of Iran who has lived in Britain for the past 24 years, beamed as he set off for his royal meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Dressed in a suit and red tie, he appeared frail but upbeat as his wife pushed him in a wheelchair towards a waiting taxi.
For more than two months, he has camped out on the pavement opposite the Foreign Office, surviving on a daily diet of water, coffee and a few sugar cubes.
Mr Beheshti previously told The National that he was prepared to die on hunger strike and said he would not give up until the IRGC is placed in the same category as Al Qaeda and Hamas.
After speaking out against the Iranian force's attempts to silence critics and journalists in the UK, he decided to take drastic action after growing frustrated with the Conservative government’s lack of action.
In response to Iran’s heavy-handed crackdown on anti-government protests, the UK has imposed sanctions on the IRGC.
But it has stopped short of listing it as a terror entity — a step that some campaigners say is crucial to send a message that its execution of demonstrators will not be tolerated.
Mr Beheshti last week met Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and human rights.
Speaking to The National on Wednesday, the Foreign Office minister said his talks with the hunger striker went “very well”.
“The main thing is his health,” Lord Ahmad said. “I wish him the best. I think his health is the most important factor.”
The Conservative MP said that, as a Muslim who fasted for Ramadan, he knows how difficult abstaining from food can be and acknowledged Mr Beheshti’s “inspiring and courageous campaign”.
“As someone who has just come off Ramadan fasting, and that was just from dawn until dusk, I’ve got appreciation for what fasting is,” Lord Ahmad said.
Ms Heaven last month told The National that she had grave fears for the health of her husband but was proud of his efforts to raise awareness of the plight of women suffering at the hands of Iran’s hardline regime.
