Below are the available updates on the health conditions of political prisoners held in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.
Rajai Shahr Prison, previously known as Gohardasht Prison, is located in Karaj City in Alborz Province. According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Rajai Shahr Prison has been used by security forces for years as an exile prison for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, despite having been built specifically to house inmates convicted of violent crimes.
The rights of each prisoner to receive adequate medical treatment has been asserted explicitly by both Iran’s domestic law and international law and other human rights documents. Additionally, various articles of Iran’s Executive regulations of the Prisons Organization have specified inmates’ diseases and treatments.
Nonetheless, Rajai Shahr prison officials frequently violate these political prisoners’ right to adequate medical treatment, hence putting their lives in danger. Often, when inmates are dispatched to medical centers they are met with obstruction from prison officials and security agents.
The following provides the latest health condition of 15 political prisoners held in Salon 10, Ward 4 of Rajai Shahr prisons.
- 1. Motalleb Ahmadian suffers from infection in the testicles (orchitis) and bladder as well as spinal cord injuries. He has not yet received any required medical condition for his degenerative diseases. Both the general practitioner and infectious disease specialist of the prison have stressed that Mr. Ahmadian should undergo surgery and receive treatments from a urologist.
For his spinal cord injury, he has to do MRI test every six months, and in order to prevent the progression of the disease, he has to be under regular examination by a neurologist.
In 2019, the specialist prescribed spinal injections, which he could not receive due to the obstruction of the head of the prison as well as the prison healthcare officer. In 2020, finally, he was permitted to obtain the medicine from outside of prison. For the next injection, which was supposed to be done by September of this year, he has not yet been able to obtain the medicine.Motalleb Ahmadian was arrested on October 5, 2010, on a charge of “membership in one of opposition political groups”. He has sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court.
- 2. Afshin Baymani has kidney stones and diabetes. After spending many years in prison, Baymani has contracted coronary artery disease. In March 2020, because of his critical health condition, he had to be hospitalized in a specialized cardiovascular hospital where they had his medical documents. Instead, the prison officials decided to instead dispatch him to a general hospital. Recently, even after seven electrocardiography tests, the physician of the prison healthcare has not yet requested the dispatch of Mr Baymani to the hospital.
Afshin Baymani was arrested on September 5, 2000, on a charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through collaboration with The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”. The Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him to death which later was reduced to life imprisonment. Afshin Baymani is now serving the twenty-second year of his sentence.
- 3. Hamzeh Savari suffers from a baker’s cyst behind the right knee and a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee, which had made walking painful for him. He urgently needs to undergo surgery to treat the cyst. He also suffers from lumbar disc injuries, arthritis and spine problems. Savari has varicocele, causing severe pain in the testicles. He underwent previously surgery, but again with the recurrence of the disease, he needs another surgery.
Hamzeh Savari was arrested on September 2, 2005, on the charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) and acting against national security”. The Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz sentenced him to capital punishment, which later was reduced to life imprisonment. He was 16 years old at the time of arrest and currently he is serving the seventeenth year of his prison sentence.
- 4. Hassan Sadeghi suffers from Glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve) and intra ocular pressure, as well as joint pain which is particularly acute in the knees. His right eye vision has been worsened due to the damage in long-untreated optic nerves. Despite these poor health conditions, the assistant prosecutor of the prison Amin Vaziri has hindered him from dispatching to the hospital.
Sadeghi can hardly walk due to the fractures of the bones in the sole of both feet caused by the tortures he endured in the ’80s (he endured his first prison sentence from 1981 to 1987).Hassan Sadeghi was arrested on January 28, 2013, on a charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through advocacy for The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran “. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment and the confiscation of his property (an apartment and a store). He is 58 years old and serving the ninth year of his sentence.
- 5. Abolghasem Fouladvand suffers from coronary artery disease. The assistant prosecutor of the prison Amin Vaziri has refused to allow him to be sent to the hospital for medical treatment.
Abolghasem Fouladvand was arrested in 2013 on a charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through advocacy for The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”. The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment. He is 59 years old and currently serving the eighth year of his sentence.
- 6. Hooshang Rezaie suffers from diabetes.
Hooshang Rezaie was arrested in 2010 on a charge of “membership in Komola (Kurdistan’s Organization of the Communist Party of Iran), spying, murder and adultery”. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to death which was later reduced to 15 years imprisonment. Hooshang Rezaie was transferred to the quarantine section of Rajai Shahr after testing positive for Covid-19.
- 7. Iraj Hatami suffers from heart problems, unstable blood pressure, blood fats and cholesterol issues.
Iraj Hatami was arrested on October 18, 2010, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of spying for the U.S.A. He had been working in Iran’s Ministry of Defense, from 1991 to 2004. Since two years and three months of his detention period in the military Detention Center has not been subtracted from his sentence term, he is still in prison. To protest, in June of this year, he went on a hunger strike.
- 8. Ali Eshagh has unstable blood pressure, intestinal colitis (inflammation of the colon), meniscus tear in both knees. Four years ago, he underwent a heart attack. He refused to dispatch to the hospital due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ali Eshagh was arrested on November 21, 2019, and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on a charge of “membership in Fedaian Organisation (Minority)”. He was born in 1950. He had also been spending in prison from 1983 to 1989 for the same charge.
- 9. Farhad Fahandezh suffers from digestive and heart diseases.
Farhad Fahandezh was arrested on August 16, 2012, on charges of “Propagation of the Baha’i Faith and directing Baha’i organizations.” The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to ten years imprisonment. He was born in 1959. Currently, he is serving the ninth year of his sentence. Earlier, he was arrested in 1983 and spent 6 years in prison.
- 10. Saeed Eghbali permanently lost 70 percent of his hearing due to the serious damages in the middle of his eardrum from injuries sustained from beatings during his detention period, which, without adequate treatment, quickly grew infected. According to his doctor, to prevent the spread of the infection, surgery will be required.
Saeed Eghbali was arrested on February 1, 2018, on a charge of “assembly and collusion in purpose to act against national security and propaganda against the regime”. The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to six years in prison, which was upheld on appeal. Currently, he is serving the second year of his prison sentence. - 11. Soheil Arabi suffers from blunt trauma and hydrocele caused by beatings sustained during his time in the IRGC’s detention center. Moreover, his feet have been swollen due to several fractures on his feet.
Soheil Arabi was arrested on November 7, 2013, on charges of ” blasphemy”, “propaganda against the regime”, “offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran”. In his first case, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. For the second case, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, two years exile in Borazjan and paying a fine for 4 million tomans, on a charge of “spreading lies in the purpose to disturbing public opinions and the propaganda against the regime” and one year and eight months on the charge of ” destruction of state property”. In addition, for another new case, he has been sentenced to two years imprisonment, paying a fine, being banned from leaving the country and once every three times mandatory appearance at the Supervision and Follow-up office of Judiciary by Branch 26 of Tehran’s revolutionary court.
- 12. Ali Musa-Nejad Farkoosh suffers from an infectious disease of the stomach and intestines, requiring surgery.
Ali Musa-Nejad Farkoosh was arrested on January 10, 2019, on charges of “assembly and collusion to commit a crime and act against national security, offensive statements against current and former supreme leader of Iran and propaganda against the regime.” The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to eight years imprisonment. According to article 134 of Iran’s penal code, 5 years as the severest punishment is enforceable for the above-mentioned charges. He is serving the first year of his sentence. A while ago, he was granted furlough for medical treatment.
- 13. Farzin Rezaei Roshan suffers from bipolar disorder and depression as well as Fibromyalgia (a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues).
Farzin Rezaei Roshan was arrested in June 2017, on charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security and propaganda against the regime.” The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to four years imprisonment. He is serving the second year of his sentence.
- 14. Arjang Davoudi can only walk with the aid of a walker. It is because of diseases, senility and harsh condition of prison as well as serious damages of lumbar vertebrae after being pushed and fallen from stairs by one of the prison officials. He requires surgery on his knees. Moreover, he suffers from other diseases such as cataracts, diabetes and heart problems.
Arjang Davoudi was arrested on November 9, 2002, on charges of “forming illegal political groups and membership in one of opposition political parties, offensive statements against the supreme leader of and high-ranking regime officials.” The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to fifteen years and eight months imprisonment which later was reduced to ten years and eight months on appeal. In 2012, on the new charge of “advocacy for The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”, he was sentenced to death. The verdict was revoked in the supreme court of Iran and instead changed to five years imprisonment in an exile prison in Zabol. Moreover, he had been spending a while in Bandar-Abbas Prison.
- 15. Mehdi Meskin Navaz requires surgery due to the rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee. In addition, he needs physiotherapy treatment because of issues in the knee, neck, and lumbar vertebrae.
Mehdi Meskin Navaz was arrested on May 5, 2019, on charges of “assembly and collusion, acting against national security, offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran”. The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 13 years imprisonment and two years of compulsory residency in Ghahraj city in Kerman Province and prohibition from membership in political parties and groups. Currently, he is serving the third year of his sentence. As of this writing, Meskin Navaz has been transferred to the quarantine section after testing positive for Covid-19.
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