Siamak Mirzaei, Imprisoned Political Activist, Goes on Hunger Strike
Siamak Mirzaei, an Azerbaijani (Turkic) activist, launched a hunger strike after a new case was reopened and he was transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison.
According to the Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners, Mr. Mirzaei began a hunger strike on Monday, July 1st (Tir 10) in protest of the reopening of a new case on charges of “propaganda against the system,” his non-release after completing his three-year sentence, and his transfer to ward 209 of Evin Prison.
An informed source told the campaign that Siamak Mirzaei announced in a telephone conversation with his family on Monday that he would go on hunger strike in protest of security forces’ interference and prevention of his release.
Prior to this, on Wednesday, June 26 (Tir 5), when only two days remained of his sentence, this political activist was unexpectedly summoned to branch 6 of Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was prosecuted by the prosecutor of this branch on charges of “propaganda against the system,” with a bail of 300 million tomans issued for him.
Siamak Mirzaei was arrested on July 15, 2016 (Tir 24, 1395) by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Parsabad Moghan city, Ardabil Province, and after undergoing interrogation, was transferred to the general ward of Evin Prison on November 13 of that year (Aban 22, 1395).
This political activist was sentenced by Judge Hasani, presiding judge of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, to ten years in prison and two years of exile to Tabas city on charges of “forming a group and assembly with the intent to undermine the country’s security.” This sentence was reduced to three years in prison and one year of exile to Tabas city by branch 36 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals.
According to Amnesty International’s 2018 report, more than seven thousand people, including protest participants, students, journalists, women’s rights activists, environmental activists, labor activists, and ethnic and religious minority rights activists, were arrested in Iran, with hundreds sentenced to prison.
Source: Voice of America
