Political Prisoner “Shahin Galedari” Commits Suicide in Urmia Prison

“Shahin Galedari,” a political prisoner, ended his life by suicide in Urmia Prison.

On the evening of Sunday, March 27, 2023, 46-year-old Shahin Galedari, a resident of Urmia who was serving a two-year prison sentence in Urmia Prison, ended his life.

Shahin Galedari was arrested by security forces in 2015 and was temporarily released on bail after some time. In 2020, the Third Branch of the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced him to two years in prison on charges of “actions against national security.” Mr. Galedari was arrested by security forces in March 2023 and transferred to Urmia Prison to serve his sentence.

Last night, Urmia Prison authorities contacted this political prisoner’s family and informed them of his suicide, which resulted in his death. His body was referred to the Urmia Coroner’s Office, and his family visited the office on Monday, March 28, to receive his body.

The suicide rate in Urmia Prison has increased in recent months, with more than 800 prisoners in Urmia Central Prison signing a protest letter on March 24 demanding the removal of “Peyman Khanzadeh,” the director of Urmia Central Prison.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on the conditions of prisoners in Urmia Prison. The report stated that prisoners, in a protest letter, reported harassment and mistreatment of themselves and their family members by the director of Urmia Central Prison, citing this harassment as the main reason for the suicide of several inmates.

The imprisoned inmates wrote in this letter: “We, the imprisoned inmates in Urmia Central Prison, each convicted of different charges, are in difficult conditions due to our problems and those of our families, and enduring imprisonment has become unbearable for us. The main problem lies with the person of prison director Peyman Khanzadeh, who not only creates problems for inmates but in some cases has also involved families in other difficulties.”

In their letter, they referenced the suicide of “Amir Shahbazi,” an inmate sentenced to amputation, and emphasized that the intensity of pressure from the prison director and officials was such that he was forced to commit suicide. About him, they wrote: “Amir Shahbazi, a few weeks ago, while he had obtained the consent of all his complainants and had nothing left before his release, ended his life by suicide. Before his suicide, in a letter to his family, he identified prison director Peyman Khanzadeh and the officials of dormitories one and two, Akbar Mahri, as the reason for his suicide.”

According to published reports, in recent weeks, due to restrictions and harassment by the prison director, the number of suicide cases has increased alarmingly in Urmia Prison, but so far, the authorities of the General Directorate of Prisons of West Azerbaijan Province have not responded to prisoners’ requests regarding this situation. Furthermore, judicial authorities have also not yet reacted to recent events.