Two Kurdish Political Prisoners Amongst Dangerous Criminals

HRANA News Agency – On August 11, 2011, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini were transferred to a ward housing some of the most dangerous criminals in Rajai-Shahr Prison.Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini are two Kurdish political prisoners who have recently arrived at Rajai-Shahr Prison from Evin’s Ward 350.

According to a report by Kalame News, a few weeks ago, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini requested to be transferred to the ward housing political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison.However, prison officials decided to house them in Ward 6 where some of the most dangerous criminals including murderers are kept.In Rajai-Shahr Prison, Ward 6 has some of the worst sanitary conditions; the majority of prisoners have no place to sleep and spent their nights slumbering in corridors.

Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini have been sentenced to five years in prison, and during the last three years of their incarceration, they have been denied furlough.While ordinary prisoners only spend one day in the quarantine ward of Rajai-Shahr Prison in order to determine whether they are addicted to narcotics or not, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini spent 50 days in the same ward which lacks basic health and sanitary conditions.After this time, they were transferred to Ward 6 of Rajai-Shahr Prison instead of the political prisoners’ cell block.

Kurdish Political Prisoner Anvar Khezri on Hunger Strike – Day 40

HRANA News Agency – After forty days of hunger strike in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Kurdish political prisoner Anvar Khezri is in critical condition and alarmingly poor physical health.Meanwhile, prison officials continue to ignore his requests.

According to a report by Kalame News, Anvar Khezri began his hunger strike forty days ago to protest against the conditions under which he has been locked up in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Ward 6, Hall 18.Since two years ago when he was arrested, Anvar Khezri has been in a state of limbo without any formal charges or a trial.Additionally, he hasn’t even been interrogated.

To protest against the uncertainty surrounding his case and also having been locked up amongst ordinary inmates in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Anvar Khezri continues his hunger strike.He refuses to eat any food and only drinks water and tea.

Anvar Khezri has two main demands.First, he has requested to be formally charged and tried after being in a legal limbo behind bars for two years.Second, he has demanded to be transferred to the ward housing political prisoners.

Two other Kurdish political prisoners, Kamran Shakhi and Ebrahim Seyedi, were also on hunger strike but ended it a few days ago.

Anvar Khezri, Kamran Shakhi, Ebrahim Seyedi, Ahmad Kamal Ramzan, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini are all political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison who have been locked up amongst inmates convicted of violent crimes and also prisoners with dangerous communicable diseases.These six political prisoners have requested to be transferred to the ward housing other political prisoners.