HRANA News Agency – The general health condition of Afshin Sohrabzadeh, political prisoner, who suffers from cancer and has been exiled to Minab prison and has sewn his lips and gone on hunger strike to protest the denial of medical leave, since April 12th, is reported to be critical.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Afshin Sohrabzadeh, political prisoner in Minab Prison, suffers from colon cancer, respiratory problems and internal bleeding and in protest to denial of his request for medical leave has gone on hunger strike and has sewn his lips, and is in an inappropriate health condition.
An informed source in a conversation with HRANA, by announcing this news, said: “Afshin was not any good at all, he has nausea and constantly vomits. He is very exhausted and is suffering from low blood pressure.”
It is noteworthy that Amnesty International in a statement titled called for urgent action regarding the condition of Afshin Sohrabizadeh, however, no action has been taken yet.
HRANA had reported earlier that despite his family’s follow-up after the early summer last year and paying 40 million IRR, the prisoner who had been transferred to Evin prison for medical treatment, after a few months without any proper treatment was returned to Minab prison due to high cost of the treatment (about 700 million IRR) and the inability of his family in paying this amount. Returning the prisoner to the former place cost his family 10 million and 200 thousand IRR.
According to the close relatives of this prisoner, Mr. Sohrabzadeh has been beaten during the interrogations by the intelligence officers of Kamyaran which led to the rupture of the hernia and a broken nose and problems of the bladder area, so that he was admitted in two ten-day periods in Sanandaj hospital.
Afshin Sohrabzadeh underwent an intestinal surgery last year which was unsuccessful and led to internal bleeding.
Last year his family offered a deposit of 2 billion IRR paying for the bail to send him to leave which met the disagreement of Minab prison. They also tried to request a leave for Afshin Sohrabzadeh again this year by putting off a deed, which faced again the rejection of authorities in Minab prison.
It should be noted despite the high cost of treatment and medication and the inability of family to afford it, the prisoner because of confiscation of his identification documents at the time of arrest, is deprived of having the health insurance.
Afshin Sohrabzadeh is born in 1990. In June 8, 2009, he was arrested by the intelligence authorities of Kamyaran near the dam of Gavoshan in the road on a coach on charges of fleeing the country to join one of the Kurdish parties.
It should be noted Sohrabzadeh was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison after the interrogations at the Intelligence Office of Kamyaran, and then in March 2011, was banished from “Sanandaj Central Prison” to “Minab prison”.
Afshin Sohrabzadeh was charged with waging war against God through membership in opposition parties in a 5-minute-long court in Branch 2 of Sanandaj court by Judge Tayari and was sentenced to 25 years in prison and exile to Minab prison. His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.