Amnesty International Warns Over Physical Condition of 82-Year-Old Dual-National Prisoner in Iran

Amnesty International has warned about the physical condition of Shakrollah Jabbari, an 82-year-old Iranian-Australian dual national imprisoned in Iran, stating that Iranian authorities have prevented him from accessing specialized medical services.

The organization’s statement says that Mr. Jabbari’s health condition has deteriorated since he was imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran on February 1, 2020. In addition to a history of stroke, he suffers from kidney stones, high blood pressure, sciatic pain in his leg, and a hernia problem that requires surgery.

According to Amnesty International, although Mr. Jabbari was transferred to a hospital outside the prison last year following a stroke, the responsible authorities returned him to prison on the same day against the recommendation of his doctors and have prevented his treatment since then.

The statement adds that Mr. Jabbari’s cellmates saw him unconscious with minimal response on March 8 of this year, but the responsible authorities have still not allowed him to receive specialized treatment. This comes despite the fact that the head of Evin Prison and the prison clinic official wrote to the prosecutor’s office last year that continued imprisonment poses a risk of death for him.

Amnesty International states that Iranian authorities have demanded 7 billion tomans for his release for treatment, which he cannot afford to pay.

According to the statement, Shakrollah Jabbari faces two separate criminal cases related to economic matters, in which he has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison in one case, while the second case is still ongoing. Meanwhile, according to Amnesty International, Mr. Jabbari was not allowed to choose his own lawyer in the first case, and in the second case the judge has requested that he change his selected lawyer.

Amnesty International concluded by calling for his immediate release and access to appropriate medical treatment.

Source: Radio Farda