Amnesty International Warns of 'Severe Condition' of Kaboudvand

Amnesty International issued a statement on Thursday, June 3, warning that the life and death of Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand, a Kurdish journalist and human rights activist who is imprisoned unlawfully, depends on the decisions of the Iranian authorities. Mr. Kaboudvand has been hospitalized due to his dangerous physical condition following about a month of hunger strike. According to this organization, the 54-year-old Kaboudvand, who is nearing the end of his ten-year prison sentence based on 'fabricated charges and crimes,' has been on hunger strike since May. Amnesty International states that the purpose of his hunger strike is to protest the Iranian government's attempts to extend his prison sentence for the astonishing crime of 'propaganda against the regime from inside prison.' James Lynch, a Middle East official at Amnesty International, said: 'Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand has been imprisoned for nearly a decade for legitimate activities in journalism and human rights advocacy. The Iranian government's actions to create a new case against him just as his prison term is nearing its end demonstrate the comprehensive efforts of the government to keep this diligent human rights activist behind bars.' Mr. Kaboudvand's physical condition, which has been worsened by his hunger strike, is critical as he has a history of heart and kidney disease, and his family claims he is not receiving adequate treatment in prison. Doctors have warned that he could suffer a heart attack at any moment. An informed source told Amnesty International that 'his blood pressure has severely dropped, his digestive system has serious problems, and he is experiencing bleeding in his stomach and prostate.' Mr. Kaboudvand fainted on May 22, thirteen days after starting his hunger strike, and was transferred from Evin Prison to a hospital. However, Amnesty International has learned that after hospital staff attempted to force-feed him, he requested to be returned to Evin Prison. He was transferred to another hospital three days later and is currently hospitalized there. James Lynch added: 'The Iranian government must stop playing with the life of Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand. As a first step to change this abhorrent situation, Iranian authorities must drop all charges and crimes against him and unconditionally release him from prison.' Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand has been in prison since August 2007. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for human rights activities and as the founder and director of the Kurdistan Human Rights Defense Organization, and to six months in prison for editing the weekly 'Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdistan.' Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Iranian government to revoke these unjust sentences, which are a blatant disrespect for the right to freedom of expression and assembly. Efforts to accuse Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand of new fabricated crimes began last March when he was summoned for further interrogation at the Evin Prison prosecutor's office. After this interrogation, he was informed that he was charged with 'propaganda against the regime.' Amnesty International states that the reason for this new accusation, which the Iranian government uses to suppress peaceful expression of opinion, is still not entirely clear. Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand has stated that during his interrogation session, he was asked about a letter he wrote to Salahuddin Demirtaş, one of the leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party of Turkey. In this letter, Mr. Kaboudvand called for efforts to establish peace between Kurdish groups and the Turkish government. He was also questioned about his doctoral thesis, which the interrogators mistakenly thought was about the rights of political prisoners, whereas Mr. Kaboudvand's thesis is about the status of ethnic minorities in Turkey. He says he was interrogated about a statement he wrote in prison regarding the massacre of Syrian Kurds by the 'Islamic State' group in the city of Kobani. Mr. Kaboudvand was tried last month regarding these charges in the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Apparently, the court session lasted only 30 minutes. He was informed about the court only one day before the session and did not have a defense attorney. The Revolutionary Court has not yet issued its verdict. James Lynch from Amnesty International's Middle East section says: 'The Iranian government must end this series of injustices against Mohammad Sadigh Kaboudvand. His arrest and imprisonment have been unjust from the beginning, and he must be released immediately.' In this context, the United States has called for the release of Kaboudvand and imprisoned journalists in Iran. 'The hunger strike' of Tabarzadi and 'concern' about Kaboudvand's condition. Kaboudvand's presence in court with the help of prison officers. Two imprisoned journalists who have gone on hunger strike are in critical condition.