Afshin Baymani, a political prisoner held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, was transferred to a hospital outside the prison yesterday, August 28, following a deterioration in his health and symptoms of a heart attack.
This political prisoner, serving a life sentence and suffering from coronary artery disease, has long been deprived of adequate medical services and access to specialized treatment centers due to obstruction by prison authorities. Ultimately, last evening, he was transferred to a hospital outside the prison after showing symptoms of a heart attack.
On July 28, 2024, Mr. Baymani fainted and fell in prison due to a severe drop in blood pressure. He suffered a head injury and bleeding after hitting a wall. After examining him, the prison nurse emphasized the necessity of transferring him to a hospital for an angiography procedure. Mr. Baymani requested medical leave to receive treatment under the care of his specialist doctor, but his request was denied by prison authorities as before.
Previously, on January 29, 2024, Baymani was transferred to Rajai Shahr Hospital in Karaj due to poor physical condition but was returned to prison the next day without receiving specialized medical care. At the hospital, only a few tests, including an echocardiogram and a stress test, were conducted, and heart and blood pressure medications were prescribed. He had previously been granted medical leave for open-heart surgery, but was arrested in Isfahan and returned to prison.
Also in November 2023, this political prisoner was granted medical leave from Ghezel Hesar Prison for treatment and medical care after posting bail. However, on December 21 of the same year, he was re-arrested for unknown reasons and transferred to Asadabad Prison in Isfahan. He was eventually transferred back to Ghezel Hesar Prison in January of 2024.
Baymani, father of two children, was arrested in September 2000 and was sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God (moharebeh).” This sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment after six years. Since then, he has been serving his sentence in various prisons.
Afshin Baymani has been suffering from coronary artery disease since July 2017. In July 2021, he underwent heart angioplasty surgery at Amirabad Hospital in Tehran.
The denial of adequate medical treatment for political prisoners in Iran constitutes a form of torture and a grave violation of human rights. This systematic and deliberate deprivation is often employed as a tool for political repression, aiming to intimidate and silence dissent. In numerous instances, prison authorities not only withhold essential medical care but also obstruct the transfer of critically ill prisoners to specialized hospitals, further endangering their lives.
