Ali Shariati's Condition in Evin Prison is 'Critical'

Ali Shariati's mother, a reformist prisoner, has reported on his critical condition in prison, stating that for the past twenty days of his hunger strike, her son has not been allowed fresh air or visits. Shariati was sentenced to 'action against national security' for participating in a protest against acid attacks in Isfahan and has declared that he will continue his hunger strike until this charge is removed from his file. On Sunday, December 21, Shariati's mother, Shayesteh Sadat Shahidi, told the news website 'Kalemeh' that her son's blood pressure is currently '8 over 6' and his blood sugar level has dropped to 43 mg. She added that 'no one is accountable' in the judiciary or the prosecutor's office, and no one in prison has come to inquire about her son's hunger strike. For these twenty days, her son has had neither fresh air nor visits. Two nights ago, he informed his family that his general health was poor and asked them to pray for him. According to 'Kalemeh', one day after a confrontation between prison guards and Ali Shariati, they threatened to bind this political prisoner and render him unconscious, sending him to the hospital for one night before returning him to prison. The family was unaware of this transfer due to the lack of a phone. Ali Shariati had also been arrested on February 14, 2011, and was sentenced to two years in prison, which was reduced to one year on appeal. He was also detained for a week last year during the middle of Sha'ban. His last arrest was on February 18, 2015, related to his participation in a peaceful protest against acid attacks. In recent years, many political prisoners in Iran have gone on hunger strikes, and some, including Hadi Saber and Akbar Mohammadi, have died due to lack of medical attention during their hunger strikes. The serial acid attacks on women, which led to Ali Shariati's arrest for participating in a protest, occurred between September and October 2014 in Isfahan.