French-Iranian Researcher Freiba Adelkhah Transferred to Evin Prison Hospital Amid Coronavirus Fears
Freiba Adelkhah, a French-Iranian researcher, has been admitted to Evin Prison Hospital due to physical deterioration resulting from a hunger strike. Adelkhah’s lawyer said her condition is concerning. Fears of contracting coronavirus have added to these concerns.
Freiba Adelkhah, a French-Iranian researcher who has been imprisoned in Iran since last year, was transferred to Evin Prison Hospital due to physical deterioration following a hunger strike.
Saeid Dehqan, Adelkhah’s lawyer, said on Tuesday, March 17 (February 25) in an interview with France News Agency that while describing his client’s physical condition as concerning, Ms. Adelkhah’s kidneys have been damaged.
Freiba Adelkhah and Roland Marshall, her life partner and colleague, are both researchers at Sciences Po Paris University and have been imprisoned in Iran for the past year. Ms. Adelkhah is accused of “propaganda against the system” and “conspiracy to take action against national security,” while Mr. Marshall is accused of “conspiracy to take action against national security.”
The trial of these two researchers is scheduled to take place on March 3.
France News Agency reported, citing Adelkhah’s lawyer, that the deterioration of Ms. Adelkhah’s health is due to her hunger strike. Adelkhah went on a hunger strike in protest of the accusation of taking action against national security. She ended her hunger strike on February 12.
Adelkhah is a graduate and researcher in Islamic studies with expertise in Shiite history and director of research at Sciences Po Paris University. She was arrested in June 2019 and has been held in Evin Prison ever since.
Marshall, Ms. Adelkhah’s French life partner and colleague, is also an expert on African affairs. After Adelkhah’s arrest, he traveled to Iran and was detained and sent to Evin Prison.
Dehqan, who represents these researchers, said that given Ms. Adelkhah’s concerning condition, he has requested her transfer to a hospital outside Evin Prison. Ms. Adelkhah is currently hospitalized at Evin Prison Hospital.
Saeid Dehqan described Roland Marshall’s physical condition as good and at the same time said that he, like Ms. Adelkhah, is very angry about his “illegal detention process.”
Concerns About Coronavirus Spreading to Prisons
France News Agency also referred in its report to the spread of coronavirus in Iran and concerns about prisoners contracting the virus.
Dehqan, while stating that “there are also concerns about the safety of hospitals outside the prison,” added that “prisoners’ spouses during visits can also infect other prisoners.” He has asked authorities to cancel visiting schedules with prisoners until further notice.
Asgar Jahangir, the head of Iran’s Prison Organization, announced today that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus to prisons, visits with prisoners will be conducted via video call until further notice.
As of the time of preparing this report, the Ministry of Health reported the number of coronavirus victims in Iran at 19 people. 44 new cases of the virus have also been identified. Accordingly, the number of infected people in Iran reached 139. The number of infected provinces in Iran also reached 15 provinces.
Freiba Adelkhah and Roland Marshall are not the only foreign researchers imprisoned in Iran. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian researcher from the University of Melbourne, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges.
Source: DW
