Fariba Adelkhah and Kylie Moore Gilbert to Begin Dry Hunger Strike on Christmas Eve in Evin Prison
Fariba Adelkhah, an Iranian-French citizen, and Kylie Moore Gilbert, an Australian citizen, who are imprisoned in Iran, have called on their supporters to join them in a dry hunger strike on Christmas Eve through a letter released by their advocates.
In this open letter released by the Iran Human Rights Center, the two imprisoned researchers in Iran announced that on behalf of all academics and researchers across Iran and the Middle East who have been unjustly imprisoned for conducting research activities, they will stop eating and drinking starting Tuesday, December 24th, and will begin their dry hunger strike.
Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher at the Foundation for Political Science Studies in Paris, and Kylie Moore Gilbert, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, announced their joint dry hunger strike, stating that they not only seek their immediate release, but also demand justice for thousands of men and women who have suffered similar or worse fates without committing any crime and are currently held in Iranian prisons.
These two prisoners held in Evin Prison wrote in their letter that while Kylie Moore Gilbert was detained by the Revolutionary Guards for more than 15 months and Fariba Adelkhah for more than 7 months, they were subjected to psychological torture during this period and their most basic human rights have been violated.
On Christmas Eve, they have invited their families, friends, and supporters to join them in a one-day dry hunger strike, announcing that they will continue their dry hunger strike after Christmas.
The detention of Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher at the “Foundation for Political Science Studies in Paris,” which took place in June of this year by the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, prompted reactions from some French officials. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, was one of the officials who reacted to this detention and called on Iranian authorities to release Fariba Adelkhah.
Kylie Moore Gilbert, who specializes in Middle Eastern affairs with a focus on Persian Gulf region countries, was one of three Australian citizens recently detained in Iran, with her arrest announced by Iran’s Judiciary spokesperson on “security and espionage” charges.
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly condemned the arbitrary and unlawful detention of American citizens and citizens of other countries, including dual-national Iranians, by the Islamic Republic regime and has demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
Source: Voice of America
