More than five hundred trade union and civil society activists demanded medical attention and the release of Jafar Azimzadeh.

More than 500 trade union and civil society activists, families of those who died in protests, and families of prisoners in Iran wrote a joint statement referring to the sudden transfer of Jafar Azimzadeh, labor activist and secretary of the board of directors of the Free Workers Union of Iran, to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj under the pretext of being sent to the hospital and his deteriorating physical condition during his hunger strike, and called for Jafar Azimzadeh to be transferred to the hospital as soon as possible for treatment and his unconditional release. Mr. Azimzadeh, who has been on a hunger strike since August 16 following his transfer from Evin Prison to one of the solitary cells in the secure ward of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, has also refused to eat sugar for a week, and for the past three days, nausea has prevented him from drinking enough water and his body is rejecting water.

According to HRANA news agency, citing the Free Union of Iranian Workers, more than 500 trade union and civil society activists, family members of prisoners, and families of those who died in protests in Iran wrote a joint statement criticizing the violent attacks and pressure on labor activists, children, women, students, and other civil society activists, and calling for Jafar Azimzadeh to be sent to the hospital and released.

The signatories of the letter wrote: "For years, workers, teachers, retirees, nurses, and other segments of society have been arrested, flogged, and imprisoned for demanding payment of their minimum wage and basic salaries."

This part of the statement, referring to the 63-day strike of this labor activist in 2016, states: “Today, Jafar Azimzadeh is back in prison. Despite his warnings at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and his demand for the release of all prisoners, not only were his warnings and demands ignored, but his release was also opposed, and a new case and sentence were filed and issued against him.”

The signatories concluded by writing: “We, the signatories of this letter, while condemning the arrest and imprisonment of trade union, social, and civil activists, demand the immediate and unconditional transfer of Jafar Azimzadeh to the hospital for treatment and his release.”

Regarding Jafar Azimzadeh, it is worth mentioning that on Sunday, August 9, following the receipt of the results of a random coronavirus test, Mr. Azimzadeh, along with 11 other prisoners imprisoned in Evin Prison, was declared positive for the virus. On Sunday, August 16, the prison's medical doctor diagnosed Jafar Azimzadeh's physical condition as an emergency and ordered his immediate transfer to the hospital; this was ultimately not achieved and Mr. Azimzadeh was transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison instead of receiving proper medical care.

It is said that upon Mr. Azimzadeh's arrival at Rajai Shahr Prison, he was tested for coronavirus and was eventually told that his test results were negative.

This labor activist has been on a hunger strike since August 16, following his transfer from Evin Prison to one of the solitary cells in the secure ward of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, and has also refused to eat sugar for a week.

He stated that the reason for his action was “deception and transfer to solitary confinement in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj instead of the hospital, failure to comply with health protocols in dealing with the coronavirus, spreading false news that there was no coronavirus in Evin Prison through the “20:30” news, the family’s ignorance, their mental persecution, and the family’s wandering around hospitals in Tehran.”

Jafar Azimzadeh, who was previously serving a 6-year sentence in Evin Prison, was sentenced to another 13 months of imprisonment by the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal in another case on August 3 of this year.

Source: HRANA