Maryam Naqash Zargaran; Fourth Day of Hunger Strike and Solidarity Support from Cellmates

Maryam (Nasim) Naqash Zargaran, a prisoner of conscience and sick detainee in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike for the past four days in protest of the failure to address her medical conditions, her case status, denial of conditional release, and objection to granting her leave. This young Christian today continued her protest by refusing to attend visitation, following which most of her cellmates also refrained from attending visitation in support of her protest.

The news organ of the Human Rights Activists Association in Iran has prevented the transfer of Maryam (Nasim) Naqash Zargaran, a young Christian prisoner of conscience and detainee in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, to a specialized medical center outside the prison, despite the severity of her condition. This prisoner of conscience has been on a hunger strike for the past four days in protest of her situation.

One of Zargaran’s family members, announcing this news in a conversation with HRANA’s correspondent, said: “Maryam has not been able to get out of bed for four days. She has a very high fever. For the past four days, in protest of her case status, failure to address her medical conditions, denial of conditional release, and objection to granting her leave, she has gone on a hunger strike.”

The source further clarified: “Today, Maryam continued her protest by refusing to attend family visitation, and most of her cellmates, except for a few prisoners with urgent visitation needs, also refrained from attending visitation in support of her protest.”

An informed source close to the Zargaran family emphasized at the end: “Maryam’s physical condition is very critical. Before starting the hunger strike, she had lost 25 kilograms, her illnesses, including a new illness that causes severe dizziness and headaches, have become very severe and are not being treated at all. She is not in good psychological condition. In prison, she has suffered from depression and takes antidepressant medications. She had filed a request for retrial long ago, but recently her family learned that no such request exists in her file and she would have to file it again.”

Maryam (Nasim) Naqash Zargaran, a prisoner of conscience in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, has developed severe ear pain and continuous dizziness. Prison health physicians, after initial examination, told her that she should not move her head for the next two weeks, and if there is no improvement, she needs to undergo surgery. However, the prosecutor’s office continues to refuse medical leave or her transfer to the hospital.

Nasim Zargaran underwent heart surgery approximately 9 years ago due to ASD disease and has an urgent need for continuous and special medical care. In addition, in the past year, she has experienced numbness in her hands and feet and chronic pain in her joints and spine, which after months of initial consultation with a specialist was initially diagnosed as lower back disc disease, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. The prison’s trusted physician issued an order for a 5-day hospitalization and urgent need for physical therapy, but due to the prosecutor’s failure to grant permission, she continues to suffer greatly. Zargaran also suffers from severe anemia, diabetes, and high cholesterol during her imprisonment, and her treatment process has been neglected due to the failure of the relevant judicial authorities to issue permission.

Maryam (Nasim) Naqash Zargaran, a young Christian, was first summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence’s office for follow-up in Esfand 1389 and was interrogated. These interrogations, which were accompanied by threats and harassment to her family members, mostly took place in informal locations and revolved around questions about house churches and the general church.

She was ultimately summoned by telephone and arrested by security police a few days after the arrest of Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-American citizen who had returned to the country to establish an orphanage in northern Iran, and on the same day, her father’s residence was searched and her religious books, pamphlets, and personal belongings were confiscated.

After her arrest, this young Christian was transferred to Evin Prison for fingerprinting and handed over to the Ministry building without any charge notification. She was detained and interrogated for 5 days without the most basic sanitary facilities in this location, and most of the questions were about the reason for the increase in members of house churches and people present and the quality of ceremonies held in these churches.

Ms. Zargaran was ultimately transferred to Evin Prison and the charge was announced to her by Branch 2 of the Shahid Mogaddas Prosecutor’s Office. The only charge against her was propaganda against the system.

Maryam Naqash was released after 19 days of temporary detention in the women’s ward of Evin on a bail of 70 million tomans. She was sentenced by Judge Moghisseh, the head of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, to 4 years of imprisonment on charges of action against national security through gathering and collusion. This was despite the fact that such a charge was never announced to her.

She is currently serving her four-year prison sentence in the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Source: HRANA