Amnesty International: Iranian Officials Are Playing with the Health of Political Prisoners

A recent report by Amnesty International published on Monday, July 18, states that Iranian officials are denying necessary medical care to political prisoners and are 'playing with their lives.' The report, a copy of which was obtained by Radio Farda, states: 'Iranian officials are ruthlessly playing with the lives of ideological prisoners and other political prisoners, failing to provide them with necessary medical care, putting their lives at risk, and exposing them to the danger of permanent disability or other lasting injuries.' This report, titled 'Taking Health Hostage: Denial of Medical Care to Political Prisoners in Iran,' claims to have 'credible evidence' that this is being done 'deliberately' by Iranian judicial and prison authorities. It notes that 'in many cases, cruelty is deliberately used as a tool for intimidation, punishment, or humiliation of political prisoners to extract forced confessions and to compel prisoners to sign repentance letters.' Amnesty International further states that some prison doctors systematically dismiss prisoners' complaints about physical problems as 'the product of prisoners' imaginations' and only prescribe painkillers for serious illnesses. Amnesty International also mentions that Iranian officials, especially prosecutors, show a terrifying ruthlessness in 'playing with the lives of political prisoners.' According to Amnesty International, Zeinab Jalalian, a Kurdish Iranian prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, is at risk of becoming blind, and Omid Kokabi, a 33-year-old physicist, has been struggling with kidney disease for five years. Afshin Sohrabzadeh, another Kurdish Iranian political prisoner sentenced to 25 years in prison, is also mentioned in the report as needing immediate treatment for colon cancer. Other cases highlighted include severe blood clotting issues of Bahai prisoner Afif Naeimi, deteriorating bone disease in the leg of Alireza Rasouli, and physical problems of prisoners on hunger strike. Amnesty International concludes by reminding that this kind of treatment is contrary to Iran's international obligations and has called on Iranian officials to immediately stop this practice.