“Hossein Ronaghi” on the Brink of Silent Death

The critical condition of “Hossein Ronaghi” in Qazalhesar Prison has placed him on the brink of silent death.

Reports released from Qazalhesar Prison indicate that the physical condition of Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist and political prisoner, has reached a critical stage. He has been on a wet hunger strike since September 3rd and has now entered his fourth day of dry hunger strike; a situation that his family and fellow inmates have warned poses a “life-threatening” danger to him.

“Zoleikha Mousavi,” Hossein’s mother, described his condition as “bad” in her statements and said: “Hossein’s blood sugar was 56 and his blood pressure was 8 over 4; conditions that show he needs to be transferred to a hospital as quickly as possible, but he is still in prison.”

Ms. Mousavi has directly held the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Republic authorities responsible for her son’s life.
Four political prisoners held in Qazalhesar have also warned in a letter of the possibility of a serious tragedy regarding him and wrote that Hossein has been deprived of medical care even with kidney bleeding.

“Narges Mohammadi,” a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has warned about the life-threatening danger of continuing the hunger strike and called for the immediate release of Hossein Ronaghi and other sick and conscientious prisoners.

“Arash Sadeghi” also responded to Ronaghi’s condition by writing: “Perhaps he (Hossein Ronaghi) will die. But before that, we are the ones who should ask ourselves: Are we still alive?”

In Tehran, leaflets containing a certificate of inability to endure imprisonment dating back to 2016 have been distributed; an action that demonstrated street solidarity.

Hossein Ronaghi’s current arrest came after the publication of a tweet at the beginning of the Iran-Israel war in which he wrote: “The Iranian people do not want war; they seek freedom and prosperity of their land and want an ordinary life. But in a system where suppression, censorship, and execution are part of everyday life, the voice of the people is not heard.”

For this reason, he was arrested on charges of “propaganda against the system in favor of Israel” and transferred to one of the Ministry of Intelligence’s safe houses. Despite having a definitive certificate of inability to endure punishment and the possibility of release on bail, he remains detained in prison.

In a letter written on the fourteenth day of his hunger strike, Ronaghi wrote: “Surviving at any cost is not desirable and is not my choice, especially under the shadow of an autocratic rule that does not care about the lives of Iranians, even if living as a citizen depends on a sip of water.” In the same letter, he emphasized his love for the Iranian people and his desire for freedom, justice, and the people’s right to sovereignty.

“Sakina Ronaghi,” Hossein’s sister, says that since his arrest, he has been deprived of consuming his vital medications and has called this government action “deliberate neglect of his medical condition.” According to her, Hossein struggles with chronic kidney disease, blood concentration, and thyroid conditions, and keeping him in prison under such circumstances is “intentional murder.”

Hossein Ronaghi, who has been known since 2009 for his activities for a free internet, has become one of the symbols of civil resistance in recent years. Many on social networks have called him the “Sattar Khan of Iran” or a contemporary “Babak Khorramdin.”
Widespread solidarity in support of him, from the “Hossein Ronaghi” hashtag trending during the 2022 protests to the distribution of leaflets about inability to endure imprisonment on the streets, shows that his voice goes beyond an individual demand.