Tag: Hunger Strike

Nosrat Beheshti Released on Bail From Vakilabad Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
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Civil activist and retired educator Nosrat Beheshti was released from Vakilabad Prison on bail of 1 billion tomans (237,955 USD). Her release is temporary, extending from Tuesday, November 30 until the end of legal proceedings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Beheshti has been in detention since her August 4 arrest. She was tried by Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mansourim, on the charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security”. She was sentenced to 5 years in prison on November 14.

On October 24, Beheshti began a hunger strike to protest prison officials’ refusal to send her to an outside hospital to treat her kidney pain. The strike lasted four days, and was resolved when she was dispatched to a hospital for treatment.

She has previously faced arrests due to her civil activities.

Political Prisoner Injured After Protest by Self-Immolation in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
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On Wednesday, October 27, political prisoner Mehdi Darini was injured by self-immolation and hospitalized in the healthcare center of Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Darini’s demonstration was in protest of prison authorities’ refusal to release him on probation. He is currently enduring the second year of a five year term in Evin Prison in Tehran.

An informed source told HRANA that Darini had previously warned prison officials about his intentions if the interrogator refused to consider his demand to be released.

During the last interrogation, in response to his stating his intention to go on a hunger strike, the interrogator reportedly said, “All the better; the regime has already too many hungry mouths to feed.”

35-year-old Mehdi Darini, a production engineer, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on a charge of ” blasphemy” and one year on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”. According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a severest punishment of five years is enforceable.

Khaled Pirzadeh Still on Hunger Strike Despite Critical Health Condition

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
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According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in-exile political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh is still on hunger strike after 46 days in Sheyban Prison in Ahvaz.

His health condition is unstable and he endures low blood pressure and blood sugar. He is also denied the right to have a phone call to contact his family.

Since August 23, 2021, this political prisoner has been on hunger strike in protest against declining his request for the release on probation, the housing of political prisoners in the same ward with prisoners of violent crimes, and police officers’ brutal behaviour towards his family members during the delivery of eviction order.

Expressing his deep concern about Pirzadeh’s condition, the lawyer Ali Sharif-Zadeh asked the authorities to agree on this political prisoner’s release on probation.

“His family informed that he is denied any access to a phone call and he is enduring critically low blood pressure and blood sugar. His life is in jeopardy,” Sharif-Zadeh tweeted.

On May 26, 2019, Khaled Pirzadeh was arrested violently by security forces and after ending the interrogation process, he was sent to Evin Prison. He was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on the charges of “offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran” and “assembly and collusion against the regime”. This sentence was confirmed in the court of appeals. According to article 134 of the Islamic penal code, 5 years of this sentence for the charge of “collusion against the regime” is enforceable.

He was relocated to Greater Tehran Prison on July 22, 2020. Reportedly, at the time of transferring, he was beaten by prison guards. In August 2020, he had surgery on his foot. Moreover, he needs additional treatment and surgery for his injured spine. On July 14, 2021, they transferred him from Greater Tehran prison to exile to Sheyban prison in Ahvaz and held him unlawfully in the ward where the prisoners of violent crimes were housed.

 

Soheila Hejab Beaten in Garchak Prison While on Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
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Several inmates convicted of violent crimes recently beat political prisoner Soheila Hejab while she was on a hunger strike in Gharchak Prison in Varamin.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Hejab had been on a hunger strike since September 19 in protest of the increasing pressure on political prisoners and the intrusion of interrogators and other Judicial officers into court processing. Following promises from authorities, she ended her hunger strike on October 3.

“One of the shift officers on purpose opened the door of section 3 where inmates convicted for robbery are held,” an informed source told HRANA. “Several inmates of this section encroached into the section where she was located and took her to their section. They tore her winding-sheet which she was wearing as a sign of protest and forced her to eat in order to broke her strike. Once she resisted, they beat and took her back to her own section by dragged her on the floor.”

Mrs Hejab was arrested by security forces on June 1, 2019, and then released from Evin Prison in Tehran on a bail of 3 billion tomans on March 14, 2020.

Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court convicted her to 18 years imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime, illegal assembly, incitement of public opinions to riot and organizing unlawful political groups”.

This long imprisonment stands at odds with Article 134 of Iran’s penal code whereupon the severest enforceable punishment is 5 years.

On May 23, 2020, the intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards arrested and transferred her to Gharchak Prison in Varamin city to serve out her sentence.

In December 2020, the revolutionary court held a new session for new indictments such as ” propaganda against the regime” and “incitement of public opinions”. Her phone calls while in detention were published online and presented in court as evidence for the above-mentioned charges. Mrs Hejab has been once arrested in Shiraz and released by granting pardon after five-month imprisonment.

 

 

Khaled Pirzadeh Continues Hunger Strike in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
ahvaz, Hunger Strike, Khaled Pirzadeh, medical neglect, medical negligence, nedical mistreatment, Political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh, Sheiban Prison

Khaled Pirzadeh, a political prisoner in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, has been on a hunger strike for 30 days despite his poor physical condition.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  Pirzadeh has been on a hunger strike since Monday, August 23, protesting the officials’ refusal of his request for parole, the non-observance of the principle of separation of crimes, and the violent treatment of his family by law enforcement officers when handing over the eviction order.

On his social media page, Ali Sharifzadeh, Khaled Pirzadeh’s lawyer, confirmed his client’s continued hunger strike and expressed concern about the health condition of Mr. Pirzadeh.

Khaled Pirzadeh has gone on hunger strikes several times, the last of which was on May 31, when he expressed in a note that he would continue his strike until his legal request was granted.

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Mohammad Ali Mansouri Sent on Leave after Enduring 14 Years in Prison

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On Thursday, September 9, Mohammad Ali (Piruz) Mansouri was sent on leave for the first time after serving 14 years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mansouri is a political prisoner in poor health who has been serving out his sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Previously, on September 3, following a heart attack, Mr. Mansouri was transferred to a hospital in Karaj, where he was shackled to the bed despite his condition.

Mansouri was arrested in September 2007 after attending the 19th anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, sentenced Mr. Mansouri to 17 years in prison, transfer to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, and a fine of 150,000 tomans on a charge of “communicating and collaborating with the People’s Mujahedin Organization (MEK)”. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeals.

In May 2018, on the pretext of [conducting] “activities inside the prison” such as going on a hunger strike, inciting prisoners, and writing a statement in support of the Sunni prisoners, Mr. Mansouri was charged with “community and collusion against the regime” and sentenced to another five years in prison.

 

Elmira Habibi goes on a Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison

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On Saturday, August 28, a defendant named Elmira Habibi went on a hunger strike in the women’s ward of Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, 33-year-old Elmira Habibi,  a native of Urmia, was imprisoned after being convicted of financial crimes.

Ms. Habibi has been on a hunger strike to protest her unfair trial and the lack of accountability from officials.

Nayeb Askari on a Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison to Protest Authorities’ Refusal to Transfer him to a Hospital

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Today, August 26, political prisoner Nayeb Askari went on a hunger strike in Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Askari went on a hunger strike to protest the prison authorities’ refusal to send him to the hospital throughout his battle with kidney disease.

An informed source spoke to HRANA about the reasons for Mr. Askari’s hunger strike.

“Mr. Askari, who suffers from kidney disease, has been denied being sent to the hospital despite the prison doctor’s diagnosis following opposition of the prison’s supervisor judge,” the source said. “Askari has gone on a hunger strike to protest.”

Nayeb Askari was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents in Urmia in April and transferred to one of the detention centers of this security institution. He was eventually transferred from the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center to the city prison in June, after completing the interrogation process. Mr. Askari has been charged with “collaborating with an opposition party”.

On July 12, Branch 119 of the second Criminal Court in the city of Urmia sentenced Mr. Askari. Nayeb Hajizadeh Yangjeh, and Keyhan Mokarram al-Nabi, to three months each in prison and 50 lashes on a charge of “disturbing the order of the prison” after they protested the beating of Nayeb Hajizadeh by two prisoners accused of violent crimes.

Khaled Pirzadeh on a Hunger Strike in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz

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Political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh has been on a hunger strike in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz since Monday, August 23.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pirzadeh is protesting the officials’ refusal of his request for parole, the non-observance of the principle of separation of crimes, and the violent treatment of his family by law enforcement officers when handing over the eviction order.

Khaled Pirzadeh, who was taken from the quarantine in the Greater Tehran Prison on July 14 and was transferred to the Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, is being held in Ward 5 of this prison next to prisoners of violent crimes, which is a violation of the principle of separation of crimes. His COVID test also recently came out positive and he got transferred to the prison’s quarantine.

Khaled Pirzadeh has gone on hunger strikes several times, the last of which was on May 31, when he expressed in a note that he would continue his strike until his legal request was granted. He ended his strike on June 24, after he was promised to be sent to a sick leave connected to his release on parole. He returned to the Greater Tehran Prison on July 7 but authorities transferred the political prisoner to Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz rather than granting parole as they had promised.

“Yesterday, police officers went to Mr. Pirzadeh’s rented house and asked his family to evacuate, the officers’ treatment of his wife was insulting and they frightened Mr. Pirzadeh’s 10-year-old daughter,” a source familiar with Mr. Pirzadeh told HRANA. “Khaled Pirzadeh is being held in Ahvaz prison and his request for parole is not being accepted so that he can take care of his family more quickly.”

A video of this harsh treatment from the on-duty officers has reached HRANA. The footage is attached here. 

Atena Daemi Denied the Right to Make Telephone Calls in Lakan Prison in Rasht

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Civil activist Atena Daemi is being denied the right to make phone calls in Lakan Prison in Rasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Daemi went on a hunger strike on August 12 in protest of repeated telephone cuts and prison mismanagement.

She ended her strike on August 17 following the fixation of telephone cuts, and the release of prisoners whose release was delayed for weeks. Now, however, it appears that prison authorities are once again denying the activist phone access.

Ensieh Daemi, Atena’s sister, said on her social media page, “They have taken Atena’s phone card, and they have deprived her of the right to contact us. After being six years in prison, Atena could guess [knew] that they may deprive her of making phone calls, but she was happy that the phone cuts will be fixed, and the rest of the prisoners can make phone calls, and freedom will be restored.”