Message from Manouchehr Bakhtiari from Prison and Emphasis on Continuing Hunger Strike
As part of an ongoing hunger strike by a number of political prisoners in Iran, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, father of Pouya Bakhtiari, a casualty of the November 2019 crackdown on protests, has emphasized the continuation of his own hunger strike and called on other political prisoners to join this protest movement.
Based on an audio file attributed to Manouchehr Bakhtiari released on Wednesday, Ordibehesht 21, by the Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners, Mr. Bakhtiari, emphasizing that he has been on hunger strike for eight days, stated that two days after announcing it, prison authorities transferred him from Hall Six, financial crimes ward, to Hall Seven, special crimes ward.
He also added that during his time in Karaj Prison, prison authorities have moved him “15 times” to different wards.
Pouya Bakhtiari’s father cited the reason for his hunger strike as “protest against the interference of security forces in judicial affairs, the lack of independence of the judiciary in Iran, deprivation of citizenship rights, and illegal conviction due to seeking justice,” saying: “They imprisoned me innocent” and “I have been deprived of all citizenship and social rights such as the right to contact and visit and recreation.”
Referring to his previous 14-day hunger strike, he added: “The prosecutor came and said I will give you leave and the right to contact and visit, end your strike. I agreed and ended the strike, but security officers interfered and did not allow the prosecutor to grant the leave.”
Also, based on an audio message attributed to Siamak Montazeri, a political prisoner from Vakeelabad Prison in Mashhad, he has also announced a “strike from medicine and food” in protest of the conduct of prison officials.
This political prisoner, who was arrested on Ordibehesht 11 at a teachers’ gathering in Mashhad, states in this message that because he was “unwilling to sign a repentance letter” due to “support for the Pahlavi family,” the Revolutionary Court issued a “50 billion Toman” bail bond and then transferred him to the “dangerous prisoners ward.”
Mr. Montazeri emphasizes that last year he “suffered two heart attacks” and “stopping medication” for him “carries the risk of death.” This comes as he was subjected to “mistreatment and abuse” by a doctor in the prison clinic on Tuesday.
Human rights sources have also reported that Ismail Abdi suffered a severe drop in blood pressure on his tenth day of hunger strike.
Eskander Lotfi, Masoud Nikkhah, Mehdi Farahani Shandiz, Sasan Mechanical, Mehdi Birami, Yashar Tabrizi, Zoroaster Ahmadi Ragheb, and Farhad Meysami are among other prisoners on hunger strike.
Mr. Ahmadi Ragheb called on Wednesday in a message from prison for the abolition of the death sentence of Ahmadrezha Jalali, a dual-nationality prisoner.
