The Iranian political prisoners, held on horrific condition have no choice but going on hunger strike and risk their own health to convey their voice to the outside world.
These hunger strikes highlight the fact that Iranian regime has remained indifferent to human suffering as it ever has been.
There is desperate need for international inquiries into the grim condition of political prisoners in Iran.
Here are some instances of political prisoners or prisoners of conscience who has gone on hunger strike as the only alternative to fighting for their rights.
Mass Hunger Strike Launched in Evin Prison
In an open letter calling on the people of Iran to support their demands, six political prisoners in Ward 4 of Tehran’s Evin Prison have announced that they’ve gone on hunger strike to protest the judiciary’s treatment of political prisoners.
In their letter, Hossein Sarlack, Morteza Nazari Sadhi, Mohsen Aminpour, Reza Bazazadeh, Behrouz Zare and Reza Mohammad Hosseini announced the following demands:
- The separation of political prisoners from other prisoners
- The conditional release of all political prisoners
- The recognition of political prisoners as “political” prisoners and not “security” prisoners by the regime
- The right to a lawyer in all legal proceedings
Labor activist couple protest unfair detention
Imprisoned journalists Amirhossein Mohammadifar and Sanaz Allahyari, a married couple, have been on hunger strike since July 4, 2019, in Tehran’s Evin Prison to convince the authorities to allow them to post bail.
On July 2, Mohammadi Fard wrote a letter to the head of the 28th Branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court asking that his wife, political prisoner Sanaz Allahyari’s health be seen to. He said that if he and his wife and other detainees, who had supported the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane factory workers’ strike, were not released in two days, he would go on a hunger strike. Two days later, he went on a hunger strike along with his wife.
Mr. Mohammadi Fard was attacked and beaten by non-political prisoners after 12 days of hunger strike while suffering from severe weakness. After being beaten, he was sent to another prison section as punishment.
Political prisoner Soheil Arabi on hunger strike
Civil activist Soheil Arabi has been on hunger strike since June 15, 2019.
In the notorious Fashafuyeh Prison near Tehran,the political prisoner suffered a seizure and a severe drop in blood pressure.
Reports indicate that he was taken to a hospital where he received treatment and was returned to prison a day after.
The blogger was arrested at his Tehran home in November 2013 by the Sarallah headquarters, an internal security group that shares affiliation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
This is Soheil Arabi’s third round of hunger strike in protest to poor prison conditions, violent mistreatment of prisoners by prison guards and officials, and various deprivations in prison.
Mass Hunger Strike Launched in Raja’i Shahr Prison
According to reports from Iran, 35 Sunni political prisoner and prisoners of conscience in the notorious Raja’i Shahr Prison, located in the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, have started a hunger strike.
These prisoners are held in the Hall no. 36 of Ward no. 10 of Raja’i Shahr Prison.
They are protesting the authorities’ abuse of the prisoners and ignoring their problems such as lack of space, not being allowed to telephone their families and loved ones, deprivation of light and clean air, and being locked up inside their cells without being allowed to go outside for fresh air.
They started their hunger strike since Monday, July 15th and said they will continue with their strike until their demands of being transferred to a larger hall and receive adequate allowance and facilities are met.
Hall 36 of Ward 10 of Raja’i Shahr Prison, which provides for 35 Sunni political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, has only two small rooms. These 35 inmates are kept in hot summer temperatures with unsafe and unsanitary conditions. They suffer both from lack of adequate space to stretch and lie down, enduring increased psychological pressures.
