Arrest of Golrokh Irayi and Court Order for Arash Sadeghi’s Hospital Admission

Following the arrest of Golrokh Irayi, a civil activist, on Saturday, her lawyer announced that a judicial order has been issued for the hospitalization of Arash Sadeghi, Ms. Irayi’s husband, a sick political prisoner. Golrokh Irayi had been attempting to secure medical treatment for her imprisoned spouse at a hospital.

The Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported, citing “informed sources,” that Golrokh Ebrahimi Irayi, a civil activist, was arrested on Saturday, 18 Aban (November 9), at her residential home in Tehran. The informed source told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that 10 plainclothes agents arrested Ms. Irayi without presenting a warrant or identification card and without explaining the reason for her arrest.

Golrokh Irayi, a civil activist, had previously been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “insulting sacred values” for writing an unpublished story that was discovered during a security forces search of her home. She had also been sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state” for participating in various gatherings in front of Evin Prison, visiting political prisoners, and meeting with families of those killed in 2009. Ms. Irayi was arrested at her home in Aban 1395 (October 2016) and transferred to Evin Prison. After serving 30 months, her final sentence was reduced to two and a half years, and she was released in Farvardin 1398 (March 2019) upon completion of her sentence.

Court Order for Arash Sadeghi’s Hospital Admission

Golrokh Irayi is the spouse of Arash Sadeghi, a civil and student activist and political prisoner held in Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj. Ms. Irayi had told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on 26 Mehr (October 17) that her husband’s health condition was “critical” and he needed to be transferred to a hospital outside the prison. Arash Sadeghi was diagnosed with bone cancer and underwent surgery in Shahrivar 1397 (September 2018) to remove a cancerous tumor from his right shoulder, but according to Golrokh Irayi, his right arm is now infected.

Meanwhile, HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), the news outlet of the collective of human rights activists in Iran, reported on Sunday, 18 Aban, citing the personal page of his defense lawyer, that a judicial order has been issued for Arash Sadeghi’s hospitalization. According to Amir Raisian, the lawyer representing both Arash Sadeghi and Golrokh Irayi, Mr. Sadeghi is to be transferred to the hospital “while preserving human dignity and without the imposition of handcuffs and the like.” Arash Sadeghi was denied medical treatment last month after refusing to be transferred with handcuffs and shackles and while wearing prison clothes.

In recent days, in addition to Golrokh Irayi, Arash Sadeghi’s wife, 151 civil and political activists, political prisoners, and families of some prisoners expressed concern about Arash Sadeghi’s physical condition in a letter and called for immediate attention to his medical situation. A group of political prisoners in Ward 8 of Evin Prison also called for Arash Sadeghi’s immediate transfer to the hospital.

Arash Sadeghi’s treating physicians had stated that he should be transferred to the hospital every four months following surgery to undergo treatment courses, but despite over a year having passed since his surgery, no such transfer has taken place.

Arash Sadeghi has been sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison due to his political and civil activities.

An informed source who spoke with the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran regarding Golrokh Irayi’s arrest on Saturday said: “We still do not know whether this is a new case file, or if they arrested her again because of her follow-ups regarding her husband Arash Sadeghi’s condition, or due to a verdict issued for Golrokh’s recent case. Golrokh herself did not know at the time of arrest and told her family that they came to arrest her but neither presented a warrant nor a identification card nor explained the reason for this arrest.”

The source continued: “No one even deemed it necessary to provide a simple explanation, just as in Golrokh’s recent case, her verdict was upheld in the appeals court without her or her lawyer being informed of when the appeals court session was held and without being given the opportunity to defend herself.”