Political prisoner Ali Moezi was transferred from ward 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison to the Fashafawiye Prison on Monday, May 2nd without prior notice. This transfer has taken place with the aim of increasing pressure on Moezi.
Fashafawiye Prison, located south of Tehran, is used for criminal inmates, those behind bars for drug-related charges and drug addicts. This facility is one of Iran’s filthiest prisons and lacks even minimum hygiene conditions. The life of this political prisoner, already suffering from various illnesses, is currently in enormous danger.
Who is Ali Moezi?
Moezi is a political prisoner and supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). He has been arrested time and again. His two daughters are both PMOI/MEK members who have recently been transferred from Camp Liberty, Iraq to Albania. Moezi is placed under such pressures for the very reason of being the father of two PMOI/MEK members. Iranian regime torturers have threatened Moezi saying, “We will finally make you suffer to death. You will not leave prison alive.”
From one prison to another
Mr. Moezi, who was arrested for his beliefs back in the 1980s, was arrested in the fall of 2008 and sentenced to two years behind bars and three years of suspension. He was released after two years in Rajaie Shahr Prison and arrested once again in June 2011 for taking part in a ceremony commemorating PMOI/MEK member Ali Saremi, executed by the mullahs’ regime.
Moezi was sentenced to another four years behind bars for supporting the PMOI/MEK and was scheduled to be released in April 2015. The Iranian regime, however, refused to release him and raised new charges against him. He was sentenced in absentia to another year in prison and was deprived of having a lawyer in court. He was prosecuted once before on similar charges in a court of Karaj, west of Tehran.
In September 2016 this political prisoner was transferred from Evin Prison to Rajaie Shahr Prison for protesting the conditions of other political prisoners. On January 4th, 2017, in the middle of a family visit, he was transferred by authorities from Rajaie Shahr Prison to the Evin Prison intelligence detention center. In February, again during a family visit, he was transferred by security agents to an unknown location. A few months later it was finally clarified he was transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison in preparation to face new charges. His case is currently being evaluated by branch 15 of Tehran’s so-called revolution court.
Lack of medical care
Mr. Moezi is not in good health and is constantly suffering internal bleeding, including intestinal bleeding, bladder tumor, prostate illness and kidney illnesses. He has been deprived of any medical care and even furlough to receive medical care in a hospital. This political prisoner has never enjoyed leave during the past four years.
Depriving prisoners of medical care is a tool used by the Iranian regime to impose by the Iranian regime on political prisoners.
Urgent call
The Iranian Resistance has issued a statement warning about the risk to the life of political prisoner Ali Moezzi calling, “on all international human rights organizations, particularly the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Working Group on arbitrary arrests to take immediate and effective measures to address his situation who has been sent to exile to Fashafouyeh prison”
