Tuesday, May 31, 2016 3:28:40 PM
At least seven prisoners of conscience have reportedly begun a hunger strike to protest against the unjust conditions in the Iranian prisons. According to the news, several of them are in grave danger:
Jafar Azim Zadeh (workers' rights activist), Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand (Kurdish Journalist and human rights activist), Ehsan Mazandarani (Journalist), Maryam Naghash Zargaran (Christian convert), Rasoul Razavi (Turk Activist), Heshmat Tabarzadi and Mohammad Abdolahi (political prisoner on execution row).
Jafar Azim Zadeh, the workers' rights activist, is on hunger strike since 33 days ago. Jafar, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was sentenced to six years in prison and two years privation of cyber and media activities by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in 2015. He is kept in Ward 8 at Evin prison.
Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand, Kurdish Journalist and human rights activist, has started a hunger strike on May 8, 2016, rights groups said. Iran's officials arrested him on July 1, 2007. Mr. Kaboudvand was sentenced to 11 years in prison on the ambiguous charges of acting against national security through establishing Kurdistan Human Rights Organization and propaganda against the regime of Iran in the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran. Finally, Branch 56 of the Appeal Court affirmed his sentence as ten years imprisonment.
Ehsan Mazandarani, the Iranian journalist, begun a hunger strike since 14 days ago to protest against his unknown situation and the arbitrary arrest. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and is currently kept in Ward 8 of Evin prison.
Maryam (Nasim) Naghash Zargaran, the prisoner of conscience, who is kept at Women Ward in the notorious Evin prison, is in grave danger of her life. Maryam, 35, had started a hunger strike on May 26 in protest against the systematic violence of her basic rights such as medical care, conditional release and her unknown fate in the prison, whereupon, she was transferred to the hospital because of her physical deterioration. Officials returned her back to the prison without any medical treatment as she was unconscious, HRANA reported.
Immediate & Unconditional Release of the Imprisoned Christian Convert Maryam Naghash Zargaran
Rasoul Razavi, the Turk Activist, has allegedly started hunger strike since 12 days ago in Central Tabriz prison.
Mohammad Abdolahi, the political prisoner on execution row, begun a hunger strike in protest against the unfair sentence in Central Urmia prison.
In addition, Arash Makri and Mohmmad Amin Agoushi were on hunger strike since last month, but there is no more info.
By: Kaveh Tahri
Follow Kaveh Taheri on Twitter: @TaheriKaveh
