Farhad Meisami, Civil Rights Activist, Begins Dry Hunger Strike in Prison

Reports indicate that Farhad Meisami, a physician and civil rights activist who has been on a hunger strike, has announced that he will begin a dry hunger strike.

According to reports published on social media, on Wednesday, September 5 (Shahrivar 14), Mr. Meisami, who had been on a hunger strike since his arrest in early August (Mordad), stated that he would begin a dry hunger strike starting Saturday, September 8 (Shahrivar 17), in protest of the continuation of his detention and the arrest of his wife, Nasrin Sotoudeh.

Farhad Meisami, 48, was arrested on charges of conspiracy and assembly with intent to undermine national security.

Mr. Meisami is accused of possessing stickers bearing the slogan “I do not agree with mandatory hijab.”

Mr. Meisami had previously participated in several protest gatherings organized by civil rights activists. He also accompanied Nasrin Sotoudeh in her sit-in to lift the professional ban on this lawyer.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, was transferred to prison after speaking about some of her clients who had been arrested in protest of mandatory hijab.

Ms. Sotoudeh, like Meisami, has been on a hunger strike for several days.

One of Mr. Meisami’s relatives told The Guardian that his hunger strike is due to “baseless charges and lack of access to his chosen lawyer.”

Source: Voice of America