Amnesty International Calls for 'Immediate' Release of Abbas Vahidiyan and Provision of Medical Care

Amnesty International expressed concern about the situation of Abbas Vahidiyan Shahroudi, a political activist imprisoned in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, and called for his 'immediate and unconditional' release and the provision of necessary specialized medical care for this civil rights activist outside of prison. The organization states that Mr. Vahidiyan is facing deliberate deprivation of adequate medical care solely due to his 'peaceful' human rights activities, which has caused him severe pain and suffering. Since last summer, Abbas Vahidiyan's health has significantly deteriorated, and he is suspected of having 'psoriasis,' an autoimmune disease, as patches of his skin have become thick and red, and he has experienced itching and burning in his hands, feet, and shins. These symptoms have made it very painful and distressing for Abbas Vahidiyan to perform daily activities, including buttoning his shirt. In October 2023, a dermatologist at Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad recommended phototherapy for this political activist, and a skin sample was taken. Amnesty International stated that Abbas Vahidiyan has not received any of the specialized healthcare and treatment recommended by the doctor to date, and officials are refusing to provide the results of his skin sample test. According to Amnesty International's documentation, Iranian authorities threatened Abbas Vahidiyan with further judicial sentences because he told his wife that he had been deprived of the medical services recommended by the doctor; he was placed in solitary confinement for ten days and deprived of phone calls and visits for a month. Abbas Vahidiyan Shahroudi, a writer, civil activist, and one of the signatories of the '14 Signatures' statement calling for the resignation of Ali Khamenei and a transition from the Islamic Republic, was sentenced in June 2019 to 21 years of imprisonment, including 11 years in the third branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mashhad and 10 years in the fifth branch of this court.