A number of political prisoners go on hunger strike to protest "violation of rights"

Human rights activists report a hunger strike by a number of political prisoners held in Iranian prisons.

Zartasht Ahmadi Ragheb, Fariba Asadi, Yousef Mehrad, Mohammad Houshangi, Ebrahim Seddiq Hamedani, and Ali Musanejad are six political prisoners held in various prisons in Iran who are on a hunger strike, according to the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, HRANA.

News also indicates that Shakila Monfared and Arsham Rezaei, who had been on a hunger strike in recent days, have ended their hunger strike.

Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb, a imprisoned civil activist and one of the signatories of the statement calling for Ali Khamenei's resignation, has been on a hunger strike in Evin Prison since the first day of his recent arrest, March 18.

This civil activist, who has been imprisoned many times in recent years and has been sentenced to prison and social deprivation in several different cases, has described his recent arrest as "illegal."

The Iranian Human Rights Organization reported on Saturday that Zaratosht Ahmadi Ragheb was beaten by a number of prisoners convicted of "dangerous crimes."

This civil activist was imprisoned in Ward 4 of Greater Tehran Prison, disregarding the principle of segregation of crimes; a ward that is reserved for prisoners of general crimes, not political prisoners.

On Wednesday, March 8, the human rights website HRANA announced the end of Shakila Monfared's four-day hunger strike.

This imprisoned civil activist, who had gone on a hunger strike to protest the failure to observe the principle of separation of crimes in prison, was transferred to Ward 8 of Qarchak Prison on March 6 and ended his hunger strike.

Shakila Monfared has been sentenced to a total of seven years in prison in two cases on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting sacred places."

Arsham Rezaei, a civil activist imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison, also ended his hunger strike on March 9 after a month. He was on hunger strike to protest the lack of access to medical facilities and opposition to his medical leave.

This civil activist has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, five of which are enforceable, and has been serving his sentence since November 2020.

Fariba Asadi, another political prisoner imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, has also gone on a hunger strike to protest the lack of respect for the principle of separation of crimes in this prison. She has been sentenced to one year in prison on charges of "propaganda activity against the system" and has been serving this sentence since January of this year.

Kurdish political activist Mohammad Houshangi has also been on a hunger strike in Urmia Prison for two weeks.

According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, this political prisoner is being held in solitary confinement in Urmia Central Prison without the right to contact or visit his family. Mohammad Houshangi has been in detention for 14 months on unknown charges.

Yousef Mehrad, who has been sentenced to death on charges of "insulting the Prophet," had been on a hunger strike in Arak Prison since February 11 to protest his "denial of telephone calls." There is no information about his current condition.

This prisoner of conscience has been sentenced to eight years in prison in another part of his case on charges of "propaganda against the system," "insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic," and "insulting the leadership."

Ebrahim Sediq Hamedani, a Kurdish political activist imprisoned in Marivan Prison, has also embarked on a hunger strike and drug strike.

He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of "acting against national security through membership in a group opposed to the regime" and has been in prison for three years.

The lack of access of political prisoners to adequate and appropriate medical facilities and the lack of attention from the authorities to their situation are not new issues, and in recent years there has rarely been a day when such news has not been published.

Ali Musanejad Farkoosh, a political prisoner imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison, has also been on a hunger strike and drug shortage since February 1. The demand for the release of political and ideological prisoners has been cited as the reason for his hunger strike.

This civil activist has been sentenced to a total of eight years in prison, five of which are enforceable, on charges such as "insulting the leadership," "insulting Ayatollah Khomeini," and "propaganda activity against the system." He has been serving this sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison since December 2019.

Human rights activists are concerned about the risk of hunger strikes to the health of these political and ideological prisoners.

In the two years since the coronavirus outbreak, Javed Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, and Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have repeatedly called on Iranian authorities to release political prisoners.

Source: Voice of America