Concern of the Human Rights Defenders Center Regarding the Condition of Sick Prisoners

The Human Rights Defenders Center, in its May report, highlighted the plight of sick prisoners in Iran who require treatment in equipped medical facilities, stating that the responsibility for the life and health of prisoners, including sick political and ideological prisoners, lies with the judiciary, particularly the head of the judiciary. This center, led by Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, pointed out that the head of the judiciary is responsible for overseeing the performance of the prison organization; the Human Rights Defenders Center emphasized the legal responsibilities of the head of the judiciary and prison officials regarding the lives of prisoners, noting that these responsibilities are heavier for political prisoners, as they are critics and opponents of the government's methods. The center warned that any negligence in treating prisoners would impose a heavy responsibility on officials. Shirin Ebadi stated, "According to prison administrative regulations, the head of the prison is responsible for addressing the health and well-being of prisoners, whether political or non-political. Also, according to the law, prisons operate under the supervision of the head of the judiciary. Therefore, the ultimate responsibility for all illegal acts occurring in prisons lies with the head of the judiciary." The monthly report from the Human Rights Defenders Center expressed concern that following unjust rulings by extremist judges, there may be deliberate negligence in sending sick prisoners to clinics and hospitals, aiming to pursue a policy of eliminating political prisoners. The center referenced the deaths of several political and ideological prisoners, including Hoda Saber and Mohsen Takmechi, due to delays in treatment, and added that currently, several prisoners such as Saeed Razavi Faqih, Masoud Bastani, Mohammad Seifzadeh, and Hossein Ronaghi Maleki are sick and in need of treatment. Previously, the Coordination Committee to Help Establish Labor Organizations had reported that Youssef Ab Khorrabat, a member of this organization in Kurdistan, is suffering from severe vision impairment due to lack of access to medical facilities while serving the fourteenth month of his two-year sentence. The report from the Human Rights Defenders Center was published while Shirin Ebadi had recently expressed concern in a letter to Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, regarding the physical condition of Narges Mohammadi. Ms. Ebadi noted that Narges Mohammadi fell ill after being transferred to Zanjan Prison in May 2012, where she developed muscular paralysis. Shirin Ebadi stated, "This is a type of illness that can even affect the lung muscles and cause suffocation and death. For this reason, the prison doctor in Zanjan and the forensic doctor in Zanjan certified that this would lead to death, and with a bail of 600 million tomans, she was released for treatment. However, before the treatment process was completed, she was returned to prison to serve her sentence. According to the law, medical leave granted based on a doctor's certificate counts as part of the prison sentence. Thus, legally, she has served more than one-third of her sentence and can benefit from conditional release. Continuing imprisonment exacerbates the illness, as has been seen in several cases, and her condition has worsened." Taghi Rahmani, Ms. Mohammadi's husband, mentioned that her necessary medications are currently provided in the women's ward of Evin Prison, adding that there is still a possibility of the return of her muscular paralysis. Taghi Rahmani stated, "There has been a threatening encounter with her previously, stating that if she makes too much noise, the next court will give her a heavier sentence." Mr. Rahmani also mentioned that his wife and several other prisoners in the women's ward of Evin Prison do not have the ability to make phone calls to their children. "As far as I know, there are eight mothers in this ward, and unfortunately, this ward lacks phone contact with the outside. In contrast, other prisoners who do not have political or ideological charges have the right to call their children, while Narges and the other eight mothers in this ward do not have this right." Ms. Mohammadi was arrested on May 4 of this year at her home in Tehran. This arrest occurred while her court hearing was scheduled for May 3 at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, but was postponed after her lawyers requested to read the case file. This human rights activist previously stated in an interview with Radio Farda that her charges include conspiracy against national security, propaganda against the regime, and founding the Legam group, which advocates for the abolition of the death penalty.