The health condition of Gholamhossein Kalbi, a political prisoner detained in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, has severely deteriorated after several months of being denied necessary medical care by prison authorities. Kalbi, who suffers from various health issues, including hernia, high cholesterol, ear infections, and severe dental infections, has not received adequate medical attention, leading to a critical decline in his well-being.
Kalbi has reportedly lost his hearing due to an untreated ear infection and is now suffering from a fungal foot infection, which has caused deep wounds and blackened his toes. Despite these serious health concerns, prison authorities have only provided basic painkillers and have repeatedly denied his transfer to a hospital for specialized treatment, following orders from higher officials.
Background on Gholamhossein Kalbi
Gholamhossein Kalbi, born in 1959 and originally from Bandar Mahshahr, has been imprisoned in Iran for over 24 years. His first incarceration occurred between 1981 and 1987, during which he was held in various prisons in southern Iran on charges of supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). He was arrested for the second time on January 8, 2001, in Dezful.
After his 2001 arrest, Kalbi was held and tortured for 14 months at a detention center operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Ahvaz. He was then transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran and later to Ward 350. In 2002, Kalbi was tried by Branch 6 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) due to his alleged ties with the PMOI. He was sentenced to death, a verdict that was upheld on appeal. However, his sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment.
Kalbi has consistently maintained that his confessions were extracted under torture and has stated that he was denied the right to choose his own legal representation, with the court appointing a public defender instead.
