Siamak Moghimi, a young man who has been arrested by security forces during the November 2019 protests, has attempted suicide several times due to his psychological problems.
In the latest reports, Siamak Moghimi attempted suicide in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary by slitting his neck on Sunday.
Moghimi was among at least 80 prisoners who were forcibly moved to the prison’s section two on September 30, where the condition is reported very poor.
Siamak Moghimi has attempted suicide more than ten times during his detention by cutting his wrist and neck or other methods.
This situation is so tragic that it has affected other prisoners as well, making the situation even more difficult for them.
According to informed sources, he suffers from psychological problems which has been deteriorated in detention.
Moghimi had taken care of the sick mother and provided for his family before being arrested in November 2019 for participating in protests over sharp hike in petrol price in Iran.
Now that he is in prison, his family is enduring difficult conditions without a guardian and breadwinner.
To bring more pressure on him, the authorities once threatened him with death and told him that he had been sentenced to death by a revolutionary court, aggravating his psychological condition.
He has been serving a five-year prison sentence on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”
Political prisoners who have been forcibly moved to another ward inside the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, have refused meals to protest dire conditions.
The political prisoners say that they had provided some appliances for the hall (Hall Two of Unit Five) at their own expense which they were not allowed to bring with them. Besides, ward 2 has very poor conditions.
“We have suffered a lot. We had cleaned Hall 2 of Ward 5 and made it habitable. Now, why should we move, especially despite the Covid-19 conditions?” the prisoners asked.
The transfer comes at a time when Covid-19 is prevalent in the prison, could spread to a high number of inmates and endanger the lives of political prisoners.
Unit Two of the Greater Tehran Penitentiary has three rooms and four toilets. About 90 inmates were transferred to this unit. So, there should be 30 inmates per room. Due to hygienic conditions and Covid-19 being widespread, there is a risk that these prisoners will contract the virus and other diseases.
Amnesty International described Iran’s prisons as “catastrophically unequipped for outbreaks.” The organization reported that Tehran has ignored appeals from prison officials to provide resources aimed at combatting the spread of the virus and treating prisoners. To no avail, jails have requested disinfectant products, personal protective equipment, and medical devices.
The crackdown on the inmates of Greater Tehran Penitentiary comes against the backdrop of increased repressive measures against political prisoners across Iran.
