Saba Kord Afshari's hunger strike and concerns about the health of this imprisoned activist against compulsory hijab
An informed source says that Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist imprisoned in Iran, has gone on a hunger strike to protest the Islamic Republic's excessive pressure on the families of political prisoners, including her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi, who is also in prison, and the family of this civil activist is concerned about her health.
An informed source, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told VOA that the imprisoned civil activist announced in a phone call to his family members on Saturday, May 8, that he had begun a hunger strike and had informed prison authorities of his decision.
The source says that Saba Kord Afshari's family is currently concerned about her health because she suffers from digestive problems and her stomach has repeatedly bled in prison. Since the beginning of this hunger strike three days ago, this civil activist has been suffering from severe stomach pain.
According to this informed source, Ms. Kord Afshari has gone on a hunger strike to protest the Islamic Republic's excessive pressure on the families of political prisoners and the authorities' opposition to the release of her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi, who is currently struggling with multiple illnesses in prison and needs to undergo treatment and surgery outside prison as soon as possible.
He added that the civil activist also announced in this phone call to the family that she would continue the strike until the authorities agreed to her mother's release, and that she would only drink water during this period.
This source close to the Kord Afshari family continued his conversation with VOA, referring to the poor physical condition of Rahleh Ahmadi, the mother of Ms. Kord Afshari, saying, "After Saba was transferred to Qarchak Prison, (Rahleh Ahmadi) suffered a ruptured disc in her back due to the pressure and nervous tension she was subjected to, which caused the left side of her body, especially her hands and feet, to become numb. Now she walks in prison with a walker and with the help of other prisoners, and is even excused from doing her own things."
On October 19, 2018, Voice of America revealed in an exclusive report the pressure the Iranian government is putting on Saba Kordafshari and her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi. According to the report, Ms. Kordafshari has suffered from digestive and stomach problems as well as internal bleeding due to long-term solitary confinement and psychological torture, but authorities are opposing her transfer to a hospital outside the prison.
Saba Kord Afshari, a imprisoned civil activist and protestor against compulsory hijab, was arrested during the August 2018 protests, sentenced to prison, and released in February of the same year. However, she was arrested again in June 2019, and has been serving her sentence in the women's ward of Evin Prison since then, without a single day of leave.
It should be noted that the 24-year prison sentence of this imprisoned civil activist, which was previously issued by the Revolutionary Court and 15 years of it was the maximum penalty that could be applied, was reduced to 7 years and 6 months in prison in March of last year by Judge Ahmad Zargar, head of Branch 36 of the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal.
Raheleh Ahmadi, the mother of this imprisoned civil activist, was also arrested on Saturday, February 16, after appearing at Branch 3 of the Tehran General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office for the Execution of Sentences and transferred to Evin Prison to serve her sentence. She had previously been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
This informed source finally told VOA that the family of the imprisoned civil activist also wants the Islamic Republic to end the additional pressure they are putting on the family of the political prisoner. They say: "We are under enough pressure mentally, spiritually, and materially with the presence of our loved ones and their imprisonment, and we want the Islamic Republic to end this maximum pressure that is accompanied by threats."
Frequent reports by human rights organizations about the critical situation in Iranian prisons during the coronavirus pandemic have increased concerns about Saba Kord Afshari's health.
The United States has repeatedly and on various occasions condemned the Islamic Republic's violent confrontations and widespread repression of protesters and civil activists, as well as its repeated and persistent violations of the rights of Iranian citizens.
Source: Voice of America
