Soheil Arabi, a political prisoner in Iran, ends his hunger strike

Soheil Arabi, a political prisoner in Iran, ended his hunger strike at the request of his mother.

Farangis Mazloum, the mother of Soheil Arabi, said that this political prisoner, who had been on hunger strike in prison many times since March 16 of last year, announced in an open letter that he had ended his hunger strike as of Wednesday, May 7, while thanking the support of the people and activists.

In part of his letter, Sohail Arabi also refers to the beginning of the treatment process in prison and says: "The strike was the last way to achieve our legal demands, and now that the conditions have improved with your efforts and support, it is better for me to focus on my main mission, which is to fight oppression, corruption, and injustice."

Regarding Mr. Arabi's treatment, Farangis Mazloum also told VOA that this political prisoner, who was suffering from an intestinal problem, underwent surgery last week in a hospital or clinic outside the prison; he is in good physical condition and currently cannot eat anything other than water, salt, and sugar.

This political prisoner, who is imprisoned in the Greater Tehran Prison, went on a hunger strike on March 16 of last year to protest his denial of medical treatment, the poor prison conditions, and his continued imprisonment. He ended the hunger strike on March 27 with a promise from the authorities. However, it did not take long for him to resume his strike in mid-March.

Soheil Arabi, a photographer, blogger, and civil rights activist, was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards in December 2013 and initially sentenced to death on charges of “insulting the Prophet and insulting sacred places.” His death sentence was overturned in July 2015 by a branch of the Supreme Court and, after a retrial, he was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison. He was sentenced again in October 2019 in another case by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Ahmadzadeh, to another 3 years in prison and exile to Borazjan.

International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of expression and suppressing civil society activists.

The US State Department also says that the Iranian regime has arrested thousands of protesters, civil activists, labor representatives, and other trade unions in the last two years.

Source: Voice of America