Political Prisoner ‘Hamza Darwish’ Transferred to Death Row Ward

Latest reports on the situation of ‘Hamza Darwish,’ a Sunni political prisoner, indicate his transfer to the death row ward.

Hamza Darwish, a Sunni political prisoner, was sentenced in 2014 by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge ‘Moghiseh,’ to 18 years of imprisonment on charges of propaganda against the system and actions against national security. He has been imprisoned since 2014.

He was initially held in Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj, then transferred to ‘Lakan Prison’ in Rasht. At Lakan Prison in Rasht, he was severely tortured and threatened. In June 2020, Hamza went on hunger strike in protest of the failure to observe the principle of separation of crimes and his detention among dangerous criminals, and to demand his return to Rajaei Shahr Prison.

He also sent a message from prison on February 11, 2022, addressed to the people of Iran on the occasion of that day. In the message, he wrote: “I am Hamza Darwish, 28 years old, a political prisoner in the central prison of Rasht, Gilan, and it has now been 7 years that I am in the oppressive and murderous prison of the jurisprudent’s guardianship regime led by Khamenei. A terrorist regime whose foundation is built on tyranny, crime and killing.”

He also continued: “During these 7 years of my imprisonment, what I understood from the jurisprudent’s guardianship regime is this: jurisprudent’s guardianship means international terrorism, means suppression and tyranny against religious and sectarian minorities, imprisoning and executing the innocent, means absolute dictatorship far from humanity, bloodthirsty and murderous, warmonger, divisive, promoting war and crime and unbridled, jurisprudent’s guardianship means against humanity, against freedom and against peace.

Jurisprudent’s guardianship means 43 years of poverty and corruption, obscenity, murder, plunder, looting, theft, embezzlement, a guardianship that has destroyed the country’s credibility and honor in the international community.”

Darwishi continued in his remarks on the occasion of that day: “This is the reality of society—that Khamenei is a beast with the traits of a pig and fox, and I can judge the extent and degree of his beastly nature by seeing the experts of the Rasht Information Management Bureau.”

As a result of his messages, Hamza endured horrific harassment, torture and threats in solitary confinement. He continues to serve his sentence without observing the principle of separation of crimes in Lakan Prison, remains banned from visits, and following an altercation that occurred in October 2022 in the prison, a new case was opened against him with a complaint from the prison organization.

According to Hrana news agency and in a report from an informed source to the agency, Hamza, who was transferred to solitary confinement in October 2022 due to a verbal altercation with prison officials over not receiving furlough, was transferred last Wednesday, April 9, after seven months, to Ward 8 (death row ward) in Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Hamza Darwish remains banned from visits, and his family has expressed concern about this issue and his transfer to the death row ward.