Mother of Imprisoned Civil Activist: If Torture-Related Injuries to My Son Are Not Treated, He May Fall Into Coma

The mother of Saeed Eghbali, a civil activist imprisoned in Iran, says her son’s right eardrum was ruptured due to blows from security agents during his detention, and due to lack of treatment during 70 days of solitary confinement, an infection has now spread toward the brain, reaching a stage where, according to physicians, if not treated immediately, Saeed may fall into a coma.

Sara Morati, mother of Saeed Eghbali, said on Thursday, October 6, in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, that her son “was last sent on September 22 from Rajaei Shahr Prison to forensic medicine,” and the physician confirmed that “his condition is critical.”

Ms. Morati added: This injury occurred on February 3, 1996, during Saeed Eghbali’s detention by security forces as a result of “severe beatings and blows” and inflicting “several hard blows with handcuffs to the back of his head,” which caused “his middle ear to suffer severe damage” and “70 days of solitary confinement, torture, and interrogation far from treating this injury greatly exacerbated it.”

According to Sara Morati, her son, upon the arrest of two close friends with whom he had an emotional relationship, was “under pressure” to make “forced confessions.”

Ms. Morati, emphasizing that Saeed Eghbali’s trial “was held under the supervision of Judge Moghaddam in 30 seconds,” said: Without any opportunity for defense, he was sentenced to six years in prison, five years of which are enforceable.

Ms. Morati, stating that after Saeed Eghbali’s temporary release they began his treatment, emphasized that Saeed was summoned to Evin Prison on June 2, 1399, to serve his sentence, which stopped his treatment period and caused “the middle ear infection to progress.”

According to her, following the deterioration of this civil activist’s condition, he was transferred twice from the prison “in handcuffs and shackles” to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, but “no medical treatment was carried out” and he “was only examined.”

Mr. Eghbali’s mother added that a 70 percent rupture of the right eardrum has caused Saeed Eghbali’s hearing to “almost be lost.”

Ms. Morati said this political prisoner, on the second day of Farvardin of the current year, following a hunger strike in protest of “the situation of political prisoners,” was “exiled” to Rajaei Shahr Prison, and after eight months of the physician’s order, was sent only “once” to Amir-Alam Hospital in Tehran, and there too was “only examined.”

According to Ms. Morati, the cost of Saeed’s treatment is the family’s responsibility, and in prison “the only medication available to Saeed is strong painkillers” which, due to “further damage” and causing “drug dependency,” he no longer uses.

Saeed Eghbali’s mother, stating that his lawyer has requested retrial and medical leave, said that they have not received an answer so far, and when Ms. Morati personally visited Evin Prison, she was told “your son has never regretted the things he did and continues to insist on his position,” and for this reason, his transfer to medical leave is being prevented.

Following the release of hacked images from surveillance cameras of Evin Prison by the cyber group “Adalet Ali,” a group of political prisoners in Evin Prison also announced that some of the torture of prisoners is not recorded on any camera.

Amnesty International called these abuses “the tip of the iceberg of the torture epidemic in Iran.”