Farhad Meisami Stops Taking Medications in Protest Against Violent Transfer to Prison Clinic

An informed source regarding the situation of Farhad Meisami, a civil rights activist and prisoner who has been on hunger strike since August 10, told the Iran Human Rights Campaign that on September 26 he was transferred “violently and against his will” from ward four to the clinic of Evin Prison. According to this source, Mr. Meisami, in protest against this forceful and violent treatment, has even stopped taking his medications.

This informed source told the campaign: “Farhad suffers from colitis, but since his transfer to the prison clinic yesterday, he has stopped taking this medication and the water that he takes along with these pills.“ Previously, Farhad Meisami’s mother had told the campaign that she had given Farhad’s pills to Evin Prison officials to deliver to him for consumption.

This source, expressing concern about Farhad Meisami’s condition, told the campaign: “With his transfer to the prison clinic, it is difficult to get news of him, and we are deeply concerned about him.“

Farhad Meisami, a civil rights activist, has been on a wet hunger strike since August 10, one day after his arrest, and has been facing a drop in blood pressure and severe weakness. He had announced he was willing to be transferred to a hospital without handcuffs, shackles, or prison clothes. However, on September 18, prison officials intended to transfer him with handcuffs, shackles, and prison clothes following the deterioration of his condition, which was met with his objection, and the transfer did not take place.

Sedighe Pishnomaz, the mother of this prisoner, had previously told the campaign: “After all, Farhad is not a dangerous prisoner who would want to escape. He is a civil activist. Why should he be transferred to the hospital this way?“

Mr. Meisami, in a message sent from Evin Prison, announced that he will continue his hunger strike until the “unconditional release of the dear Reza Khandan and the cessation of summons, interrogation, and questioning of my dear sister, as well as Ms. Zhila Makhundi and Mr. Davoud Farhadpour.”

Mohammad Moghimi, Farhad Meisami’s chosen lawyer, also wrote on his Instagram on May 16 that despite Farhad Meisami’s request for him to accept representation in his case, the judiciary has not yet accepted his representation. This lawyer wrote on his Instagram: “For me to take on the representation of this person, the announcement of my representation has been prevented so far. This is while preventing the enjoyment of a chosen lawyer, according to the note of Article 48 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, is limited to the preliminary investigation phase, and his case has passed through this phase.“

Farhad Meisami, 48 years old, is a civil rights activist and physician. In the 1990s and 2000s, he published educational and entrance exam textbooks at Future Builders Publishers and in recent years has participated in many sit-ins and protest gatherings as a civil activist against prisoners’ rights and mandatory hijab.

Mr. Meisami was arrested on July 31 by officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. During the search of his house, Ministry of Intelligence officials found a number of badges with content opposing mandatory hijab and confiscated them as evidence of the crime. He is charged in Branch Seven of Evin Prison Court with three charges: “gathering and conspiracy to disrupt the country’s security by inciting women to public appearance with their heads uncovered“, “propaganda against the system“ and “insulting the hijab as one of the necessary sanctities of Islam“. However, the specifics of these three charges are unclear.

Source: Iran Human Rights Campaign