Afshin Baymani, a political prisoner held in Ghezel Hesar Prison, suffered a heart attack on the night of August 28, 2024, marking a significant deterioration in his health. Baymani, who is serving his 25th year of imprisonment, was urgently transferred to an external medical facility after showing critical symptoms of heart failure.
Specialist doctors had previously stressed the need for immediate heart surgery due to Baymani’s blocked arteries. However, prison officials repeatedly obstructed his medical furlough, endangering his life. Recent reports indicate that his condition worsened significantly, culminating in the emergency transfer. The delay in providing necessary medical care has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates.
Baymani, one of Iran’s longest-held political prisoners, was arrested on September 6, 2000, for assisting his younger brother, who was affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). His brother was killed by security forces during an altercation, and his body was never returned to the family. Baymani was initially sentenced to death, a verdict later commuted to life imprisonment after six years of incarceration.
