130 Political Activists Call for Attention to the Demands of Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Rajai-Shahr

130 political activists expressed concern over the situation of 17 political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr prison who have been on hunger strike for 39 days, demanding attention to their demands and an "end to the illegal actions" of security officials and the judiciary. According to reports from several websites, including Zeyton, the authors of this letter, published on Wednesday, September 6, emphasized that the "responsibility for the life and health" of these prisoners "lies with the Islamic Republic" and that this government "cannot silence the voice of protest against the ruling tyranny by filling prisons with the intellectuals of society and harassing them." These political activists pointed to the "critical and very concerning" condition of these prisoners due to the hunger strike, reporting that the judiciary has "responded negatively to the demands of political prisoners and shows indifference to the deteriorating condition of the hunger-striking prisoners." The authors of this letter also reminded of the deprivation of these prisoners from access to hygiene supplies, appropriate clothing, and adequate medical care, stressing that "the result of these harsh policies is now visible in the face of Alireza Rajai." Behrouz Bayat, Behrouz Khaligh, Taghi Rahmani, Noushabeh Amiri, Jamshid Asadi, Jamileh Kadivar, Hassan Shariatmadari, Hassan Youssefi Ashkouri, Reza Alijani, Ali Kashtgar, Ali Mazrouei, Fatemeh Haghighatjou, Farhad Farjad, Mohammad Ali Tofighi, Mehdi Khanbatahrani, Mehdi Fattapour, Mehran Barati, and Morteza Kazemian are among the signatories of this statement. 20 prisoners in Rajai-Shahr prison have been on hunger strike since August 8, after being transferred to a new ward and protesting the violation of their rights, including "denial of daily outdoor exercise," "poor ventilation in the new ward," "the presence of surveillance cameras in it," and "failure to return their personal belongings." According to reports from the Harana website, 17 of these prisoners are still on hunger strike, and the families of some of them requested on Wednesday that they end their hunger strike. Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, had asked the Islamic Republic on September 1 to address concerns about the prolonged hunger strike of prisoners. However, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, emphasized on September 1 that the judiciary would not "yield" to the hunger strike of prisoners and that "these actions are matters of failure." In recent years, many political prisoners, including Hadi Saber and Akbar Mohammadi, have died due to lack of medical attention during hunger strikes. Prolonged hunger strikes have also had negative effects on the physical condition of some political prisoners. Meanwhile, Maliheh Hosseini, the wife of Ehsan Mazandarani, previously tweeted about her husband's condition, stating that "his stomach accepts nothing but water, and the prosecutor does not even allow medical leave." Ehsan Mazandarani, a jailed journalist, had previously gone on hunger strikes several times in protest against illegal detention and mistreatment by prison officials. Numerous reports have also been published regarding the lack of medical care for political prisoners. For instance, Mohsen Dagmachi and Hassan Nahid, two prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin Prison, were unable to obtain medical leave and treatment outside the prison despite severe illness and died. Meanwhile, Alireza Rajai, a journalist and national-religious activist, lost his right eye and part of the muscle and bones on the right side of his face after surgery. While Mr. Rajai's family reported a lack of medical care during his imprisonment, the judiciary spokesperson claimed that Mr. Rajai received medical services during his imprisonment and developed cancer after his release. Additionally, the "Ensaf News" website reported, citing Amir Fashakhami, the brother of Yaghma Fashakhami, a jailed journalist, that in a phone call with his brother, he learned that "his condition is not good." According to this report, Mr. Fashakhami's family has not been able to visit him, and he has only had one phone call with his family since his arrest. This journalist was arrested on the evening of August 21 this year. On August 11, Sasan Aghaei, the deputy editor of the Etemad newspaper, was also arrested. In this context, "the harsh treatment of the prosecutor's office" with the families of hunger-striking prisoners continues, as does the arrest of journalists and the ongoing hunger strike in Rajai-Shahr prison. The UN reporter has called on Iran to address concerns about the hunger strike of prisoners, and criticisms of the situation of prisoners in Rajai-Shahr and the death sentence of Mohammad Ali Taheri continue.