Evin Prison Women's Ward: Lack of medical attention to Saba Kord Afshari's condition
Saba Kordafshari, a civil rights activist imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, is denied medical attention despite her ankle injury. Ms. Kordafshari was sent to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran in early October for treatment of her ankle injury, but was returned to prison without proper medical attention. The civil rights activist also suffers from digestive problems and stomach ulcers, but has not received proper medical attention in this regard.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, is denied medical attention despite her ankle injury.
Ms. Kord Afshari was sent to Taleghani Hospital for treatment in early October of this year after being diagnosed with a sprained ankle by the prison medical department. Emergency doctors suggested a tendon injury, but because the civil activist was sent at noon and at a time when the hospital was refusing to admit patients, the emergency clinic put a cast on her leg and she was scheduled to be sent to the hospital for an MRI in two weeks. After a few weeks passed and she was not sent to Saba Kord Afshari Hospital, she took off the cast herself and noticed swelling and bruising on her leg.
The injury to his leg is so severe that this civil activist needs to use a cane to get around.
A source familiar with Ms. Kord Afshari's condition told HRANA: "Today, after removing the cast on her leg, Saba Kord Afshari noticed severe swelling and bruising and was transferred to the prison infirmary. The prison infirmary again wanted to delay work and send her to the hospital at noon, but they were met with Saba's protest. Sending her at this time would mean no further examination and only fruitless trips back and forth to the hospital, especially during the coronavirus outbreak in the country, so she refused to go to the hospital."
This imprisoned civil activist also suffers from digestive problems and stomach ulcers, which have not been properly treated. He was previously sent to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran on September 19, 2020, but was returned to prison without proper medical care on the pretext of non-payment of fees.
While Saba Kordafshari was released from the women's ward of Evin Prison in February 2018 after her previous conviction, on Saturday, June 1, 2019, she was again arrested by security forces at her home and transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin after 11 days of interrogation under pressure. On July 2, she was transferred again from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center in Evin Prison, known as Ward 2-A, for further interrogation, and on July 11, she was returned from the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center to Qarchak Prison. Ms. Kordafshari was transferred to Evin Prison on August 12, 2019, and the court hearing to hear her charges was held on August 19, 2019.
She was finally sentenced on September 26, 2019, by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to 15 years in prison for the charge of “spreading corruption and prostitution by uncovering the hijab and walking without it,” to 1 year and 6 months in prison for the charge of “propaganda against the system,” and to 7 years and 6 months in prison for the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country,” for a total of 24 years in prison along with other social deprivations. Due to the multiple crimes and previous record, one-half of each charge has been added.
This sentence was reduced to 9 years of imprisonment in December 2019 by Branch 36 of the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal, headed by Judge Ahmad Zargar. Based on this sentence, Saba Kord Afshari was sentenced to one year and six months of imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda activity against the regime” and to 7 years and six months of imprisonment for the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against national security,” for a total of 9 years of imprisonment. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, namely 7 years and six months of imprisonment, was applicable to her for the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against national security.”
In June of this year, after the contents of the court case were illegally changed, her 15-year prison sentence for “spreading corruption,” for which she had previously been acquitted, was applied to her case. Now, Ms. Kord Afshari, who is serving a 9-year prison sentence in Evin Prison, faces a 24-year prison sentence if she does not correct her past violations.
Saba Kordafshari was born on July 6, 1998. Raheleh Ahmadi, a imprisoned civil activist and Saba Kordafshari's mother, has been serving her 31-month sentence in the women's ward of Evin Prison since February 2019.
Source: HRANA
