Soheil Arabi, a political prisoner in Iran, continues his hunger strike
Soheil Arabi, a political prisoner imprisoned in Greater Tehran Prison, has announced his hunger strike on the eighth day in protest of his deprivation of the right to medical treatment and the right to leave or approval of his request for conditional release. He has applied to the Greater Tehran Prison's Labor Assistance Unit and has sent a request to the judicial authorities to retry the case of this political prisoner.
The Human Rights in Iran website announced on Thursday, April 11, that the political prisoner had said in an open letter that he would change his hunger strike from a dry to a wet one until a fair and impartial judge reviews his case. He also cited the concern of his mother, Farangis Mazloum, and his paternal responsibility as another reason for changing his hunger strike.
Soheil Arabi says in his open letter that after about 7 days of a complete hunger strike, he was summoned to the assistance unit of Greater Tehran Prison and his request for a retrial and appeal was sent to the judicial authorities, on the condition that he drink a few sips of water.
The political prisoner says: "I have no doubt that if a fair and impartial judge examines and deals with this case, he will definitely issue a verdict of acquittal."
Soheil Arabi, a civil rights activist imprisoned in Iran, had previously gone on a hunger strike on March 16 to protest his denial of medical treatment, poor prison conditions, and continued imprisonment. He ended his hunger strike on Thursday, April 27, with prison officials promising to send him to a hospital outside the prison.
Farangis Mazloum, the mother of this political prisoner, also recently released a video released by the Voice of America, calling for the release of her son Sohail Arabi and other prisoners "who do not pose a danger to society."
Soheil Arabi, a photographer, blogger, and civil activist, was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards in December 2013 and initially sentenced to death on charges of “insulting the Prophet and insulting sacred places.” After a while, this sentence was overturned by one of the branches of the Supreme Court in July 2015. After a retrial and overturning of the sentence, he was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison, but in October 2019, in addition to his previous sentence, he was sentenced again by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Ahmadzadeh, to another 3 years in prison and exile to Borazjan.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference on Wednesday, April 26: "We have asked not only Syria, but also the Islamic Republic of Iran to release not only American citizens, but all those who have been unjustly imprisoned in these circumstances. This is a humanitarian act, and apart from the fact that these people have been imprisoned illegally, in these circumstances, the principle of humanitarianism dictates that they be released from prison."
Source: Voice of America
