Shakila Monfared Denied Access to Medical Treatment in Qarchak Prison

Political prisoner Shakila Monfared, who suffers from gastrointestinal disease and severe stomach pain, has been denied access to adequate medical treatment in Qarchak Prison in Varamin City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, prison officials have barred her dispatch to a hospital outside the prison as well as leave on furlough for medical treatment.

“For the fifth time, her request for furlough has been rejected,” an informed source told HRANA. “They mentioned a report from the interrogator and judiciary officers on her interview with one of the media as the reason for this rejection. This claim stands at odd with the fact that she never had any interview and the interrogator refuses to provide any proof regarding this claim.”

On August 31, 2020, security forces arrested Monfared while she was leaving her home. They transferred her to one of the detention centers at disposal of IRGC in Tehran. Reportedly, they did not have a warrant for this arrest.

On September 9, of last year she was relocated to the quarantine section of the women ward of Evin Prison. On September 14, she was released on a bail of 400 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.

In January of this year, the joint court trial of Shakila Monfared, Arsham Rezaei, and Mohammad Abolhassani was held in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. 27-year-old Monfared was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 4 months of probation work in the Agricultural Jihad on charges of “propaganda activities against the system” and “insulting the sanctities of Islam”.

Monfared was granted furlough on August 23 of this year and returned to jail on September 7.

Journalist Reza Jolodarzadeh Released from Greater Tehran Prison

This Monday, November 1,  journalist Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh, who has been on furlough since mid-September, was released from The Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, while he was on furlough Jolodarzadeh was granted an imprisonment intolerance certificate by forensic medicine, and will therefore not be required to return to prison.

In June 2019, Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 40 million rials and two years prohibition from any political or journalistic activities on charges of “propaganda against the regime, spreading lies and disturbing public opinions on the internet”.  The verdict was upheld by the appellate court.

In January 2021, Jolodarzadeh was summoned by Branch 1 of the Executive Unit of Evin Prison to endure his sentence in The Greater Tehran Prison. On February 12, despite having regular seizures, he was not allowed to be dispatched to a hospital outside the prison. Jolodarzadeh is an injured veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and suffers from a serious brain lesion.

On March 2, Jolodarzadeh went on a hunger strike to protest authorities’ refusal to take his medical needs seriously. After one week, he ended the hunger strike after hospitalization and receiving medical treatment. Once again, on April 28, in protest against prison’s officials’ inattention to his demands and requirements, he went on a hunger strike. After a while, he ended his strike after officials promised to meet his demands.

On July 14, he went furlough from The Greater Tehran Prison as well as once again on September 22, for medical treatment and providing medicines. This time, forensic medicine issued an imprisonment intolerance certificate whereby he was set free.

Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh is the Editor of  the newspaper “Sobhe-Azadi” , which was banned by the regime in 2011.

Khaled Pirzadeh Continues Hunger Strike in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz

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.

Inmate Dies of COVID After Facing Medical Negligence in Qarchak Prison in Varamin

Today, Wednesday, September 22, Ms. Giti Haj Rahimi died of COVID in the quarantine section of Ward 9 of Qarchak Prison in Varamin after facing medical negligence from prison authorities.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists, Haj Rahimi had been convicted for financial crimes. HRANA has verified Ms. Haj Rahimi’s identity.

Ms. Haj Rahimi, who had been serving her sentence in Ward 6 of Qarchak Prison, was recently transferred to a solitary confinement cell for quarantine after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Ms. Haj Rahimi was also diabetic and had previously lost one of her fingers to this disease during her imprisonment.

Haj Rahimi’s death has not been announced by the Iranian media or official sources as of this writing.

Concern Increases about Political Prisoner Zahra Safaei’s Condition Following her Transfer to Unknown Location

On Saturday, September 4, political prisoner Zahra Safaei was transferred from prison to an unknown location following a heart attack.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Safaei was being held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin until  her transfer.

Neglect of Ms. Safaei’s condition, especially after her recent heart attack and poor physical condition, has raised concerns among her family. She had also been transferred to Sattari Hospital in Qarchak last week on the order of a prison doctor but was returned to prison without medical treatment.

Ms. Safaei was summoned in July 2020 and was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin the next day since she was not able to provide the required bail of ten billion tomans.

In January of this year, Branch 23 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Mohammad Mehdi Shahmirzadi, sentenced Ms. Safaei to 5 years in prison on a charge of “propaganda activities against the national security”, one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and 2 years in prison on the charge of “insulting the leadership and founder of the Islamic Republic”.

She was also sentenced to a ban from leaving the country and from joining political parties and social groups.

Zahra Safaei has a history of arrest. She spent time in prison as a social-political activist in the 1980s. Her father was executed in the 1980s for supporting MEK.

Safaei’s location and fate are unknown as of this writing.

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

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.

Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani Facing Medical Negligence in Urmia Prison; Family is Concerned

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani is currently facing medical negligence from authorities in Urmia Prison.

On Wednesday, August 25, a source close to Hamedani’s family told HRANA, “Mr. Hamedani has diabetes and, despite passing two months (without medical care), he has been denied access to his medicines, and is in poor physical condition.”

According to this informed source, doctors in Urmia Prison have been on strike and have been refusing to attend the prison for about a month. Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani, along with his son and daughter Salar and Maryam, was arrested in February 2019. They were transferred to the city’s central prison in late April after two months of interrogation, where Maryam released on a bail.

Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Ebrahim and Salar Sedigh Hamedani to 16 years each in prison on charges of “acting against national security through membership in an opposition organization,” and “propaganda activities against the regime”.

During interrogation, a new case was open against the two political prisoners. They were charged on “propaganda activities against the regime in prison” and sentenced by the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia to 11 additional months in prison.

It is said that Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani was arrested earlier in 2005 on charges of “collaborating with an opposition organization” and was sentenced to six years in prison. After serving two years, he was released on parole.

COVID-19 Spreads in Mahabad Prison in West Azerbaijan Province

Observations of symptoms of the coronavirus among inmates has raised concerns about the virus’s spread within the public ward of Mahabad Prison

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mukrian News Agency, several inmates have been denied medical treatment despite having deteriorating health and symptoms of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, prison officials have refused to provide even symptomatic inmates with COVID tests, and several prisoners in the public ward of the prison have severe symptoms.

“Several prisoners suffer from Corona and are in critical condition,” the report quoted a prisoner as saying.

 

Akram Rahimi Dies of Coronary Heart Disease in Amol Prison after being Unable to Pay Required Cash Bail

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, an inmate in the women’s ward of Amol Prison died on the evening of Saturday, August 14 of coronary heart disease.

The prisoner, who has been identified by HRANA as 40-year-old Akram Rahimi, suffered from severe heart and lung disease, but was being kept in detention due to her inability to pay the required cash bail.

“Ms. Rahimi contracted Corona some time ago along with several other prisoners,” an informed source told HRANA. “After her condition worsened, she was regularly sent to the hospital, but due to lack of space, she was not accepted and received the same basic treatment services, ie serum injection in the hospital garden, and was transferred to prison again until she died two nights ago.

Nahid Taghavi and Narges Adib Facing Medical Negligence in Evin Prison

Nahid Taghavi and Narges Adib are currently facing medical negligence from authorities in Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Iranian-German dual citizen Nahid Taghavi has been denied medical treatment in Evin Prison despite suffering from COVID-19.

Ms. Taghavi was previously transferred to quarantine along with several prisoners with symptoms after receiving a positive COVID test. Despite the widespread prevalence of COVID-19 among inmates in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, Ms. Taghavi has not been approved for for medical leave.

Political prisoner Narges Adib, who suffers from a number of health issues, is currently being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison as she serves out her sentence.

Ms. Adib suffers from a variety of medical problems such as respiratory distress, bronchitis, asthma, and joint pain. She was sent to the hospital for an MRI weeks ago but has not yet received test results or medication.