Political prisoners, Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee, have launched their hunger strike on Friday, February 3, 2018, as they had declared before.
In a statement released on February 3, they announced they are refusing food in protest to the Iranian regime’s breach of the principle of classification and separation of prisoners and their own illegal exile to Varamin’s Qarchak Prison.
They are demanding their own simultaneous return to the Evin Prison’s women’s ward and the return to Evin of political prisoner Soheil Arabi, who is also in exile in Gohardasht Prison. A writer, blogger and activist, Soheil Arabi went on hunger strike on January 25, 2018, to protest the illegal banishment of the two imprisoned women.
Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee once again vowed in their statement to continue with dry hunger strike on February 10, if the three prisoners are not returned in the week-long deadline.
The two had previously beaten up and banished to the notorious women’s Qarchak Prison, in Varamin, Tehran Province.
Atena Daemi’s parent wrote a letter to Ms. Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, to protest the beating and transfer of their daughter from the women’s ward of Evin to Qarchak Prison. In parts of their letter they wrote: “We urge you, not only because of your heavy responsibility as the UNSR on human rights, but as a woman, a mother and as a human being, to convey our voice, the voice of Hossein Daemi and Massoumeh Nemati, a father and a mother who have started their day with the news of vicious beating of their imprisoned daughter. Our daughter’s life is in danger!”
Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee, had announced that they will go on hunger strike if they don’t be returned to Evin Prison. The Prosecutor’s representative in Tehran’s Evin Prison however announced that Atena Daemi will not be returned to Evin. This news was published on Sunday, January 28, 2018.
