Amnesty International: Kamal Foroughi, Iranian-British Citizen, Needs Immediate Surgery

On Tuesday, September 23, Amnesty International issued a statement warning about the health condition of Kamal Foroughi, an Iranian-British citizen imprisoned in Iran, and called for his immediate release. According to the statement, Kamal Foroughi needs urgent treatment outside of prison for cataracts in both eyes, otherwise he risks blindness. Amnesty International states that this 77-year-old Iranian-British citizen was transferred to the medical facility of Evin Prison earlier this month, and the prison doctor has indicated that he urgently requires cataract surgery for both eyes. In addition to cataracts, Kamal Foroughi suffers from back pain, prostate issues, and memory disorders, and given this situation, he cannot endure prison conditions. Kamal Foroughi, who worked as an economic consultant in Tehran, was arrested in May 2011 (five years ago), but this issue became public in October of last year when his family decided to break their silence. According to Amnesty International, Mr. Foroughi was held in solitary confinement for 18 months at the beginning of his detention and was only allowed to meet with his defense attorney once before his trial. The report states that Kamal Foroughi was deprived of consular access during his detention and was ultimately sentenced in 2013 to a total of seven years in prison on charges of 'espionage' and 'possessing alcoholic beverages.' Reuters reported in December 2015 that Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, discussed Mr. Foroughi's case with Iranian officials, including Hassan Rouhani. The British Foreign Office spokesperson assured that London is seeking Kamal Foroughi's immediate release. Iranian officials have not commented on Kamal Foroughi's arrest and charges so far. Nazanin Zaghari, another Iranian-British citizen, was arrested on April 4 this year at Imam Airport in Tehran and was recently sentenced to five years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Her family confirmed this news on September 10, stating that the charges against Ms. Zaghari remain unclear despite her conviction in court. Homa Hoodfar, an Iranian-Canadian citizen and a professor at Concordia University in Montreal, Reza Shahini, an Iranian-American citizen, Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American citizen and former director of strategic planning at Crescent Oil Company, and Baqer Namazi, his father and a former UNICEF representative in several African countries, are other dual citizens who have been arrested and imprisoned in Iran in recent months. In addition to these individuals, several Iranian citizens with dual American, British, and Canadian citizenship have been arrested in Iran over the years and accused of 'espionage' or 'collaborating with an enemy government.' Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they do not recognize the dual citizenship of Iranian citizens and that those with citizenship from another country will be treated according to Iranian laws. The United States and Britain have repeatedly warned their citizens in recent months that traveling to Iran could pose a risk of arrest.