Amnesty International: The Return of Omid Kokabi to Prison Puts His Life at Risk

Amnesty International has warned that the return of physicist Omid Kokabi to prison poses a severe risk to his life, as he requires special post-operative care and ongoing cancer treatment. Kokabi, who has been imprisoned in Evin prison in Tehran for five years without leave, lost one of his kidneys on April 20 due to advanced cancer. In a statement released on Tuesday, May 17, Amnesty International emphasized that Kokabi's current health condition is a result of prison authorities' neglect of his pain. The statement notes that while Kokabi has long suffered from abdominal and kidney pain, prison officials have denied him treatment and even medical tests. According to Amnesty, Kokabi has repeatedly requested to be transferred to a hospital with a urology department for special tests, but his requests have always been met with opposition. It is reported that Kokabi has experienced multiple kidney stone incidents and blood in his urine since the beginning of his imprisonment. Kokabi, who was studying for a PhD in physics at the University of Texas, traveled to Iran in 2009 to visit his family but was arrested when he attempted to return to the U.S. He has been charged with 'collaboration with foreign governments' and 'earning illicit income,' leading to a 10-year prison sentence. Kokabi has denied all charges, stating that he was arrested after refusing an offer to collaborate with Iran's military-security agencies. Amnesty International's statement asserts that Kokabi is imprisoned for his conscience and that all accusations against him are 'completely false.' The human rights organization ultimately calls on Iranian authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. Various scientific and human rights groups have previously issued statements calling for Kokabi's release. For instance, in mid-May of this year, a letter signed by over 16,000 civil activists from around the world was published, urging the UN Secretary-General to advocate for the physicist's freedom.