Fatemeh Ziaei, also known as Houri Ziaei, a political prisoner in Iran, is reportedly in critical health due to multiple serious illnesses, yet remains deprived of release or even medical furlough for treatment.
Health Concerns and Medical Neglect
According to reports, Ziaei suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), severe lung infections resembling tuberculosis, and a drug-resistant bladder infection. Due to the lung infection, her MS treatment has been delayed, leading to severe health deterioration. She is currently unable to walk properly and struggles with acute respiratory problems caused by the lung infection.
Prison doctors have reportedly recommended external medical treatment for her condition. However, judicial authorities have refused to grant her release or medical leave to complete her interrupted treatment. A source familiar with her condition emphasized:
“Tests confirm that she has developed an advanced lung infection akin to tuberculosis. She cannot endure the prison environment and urgently needs proper facilities and specialized care outside.”
Ziaei was briefly granted medical furlough in September 2023 due to the severity of her MS but was returned to prison before completing her treatment.
Background on Fatemeh Ziaei
Fatemeh Ziaei, born in 1957 is mother of two. She is a veteran political prisoner who was previously imprisoned during the 1980s. From 1981 to 1986, she served a five-year sentence for alleged support of the opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
In later years, Ziaei was arrested multiple times on similar charges. She was detained in 2009 for visiting MEK members to meet her children and sentenced to one year in prison. Subsequent arrests occurred in 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Her most recent arrest took place on September 10, 2022 when she was convicted of “assembly and collusion” and “connection with the MEK.” She received a six-and-a-half-year sentence and was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Despite her worsening MS and fragile health, she has been denied the chance to continue her treatment uninterrupted.
