Concerns for the Health of Pooja Bakhtiari's Mother Following 'Two Suicide Attempts' in Prison

The family of Nahid Shirpich, the mother of Pooja Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, has expressed concern about her health and reported that she has attempted suicide in prison. Mona Bakhtiari, Nahid Shirpich's daughter, stated on Saturday, February 16, on social media platform X: 'Today, after three weeks of not hearing from my mother Nahid Shirpich, we learned that she attempted suicide last Wednesday in prison and has been taken to solitary confinement.' Pooja Bakhtiari's sister further expressed concern for her mother's condition, stating that she can no longer endure prison and her life is in danger. She emphasized: 'We demand the release of Nahid Shirpich, and the Islamic Republic will be responsible for anything that happens to my mother.' Saba Bakhtiari, Pooja and Mona Bakhtiari's aunt, also confirmed the news of Nahid Shirpich's suicide attempt in prison and told Radio Farda that her condition is dire and deteriorating. She informed Radio Farda that Ms. Shirpich has attempted suicide twice in Zanjan prison, the last time being last Wednesday, both of which were unsuccessful. According to Ms. Bakhtiari, prison officials, despite Ms. Shirpich's deteriorating health, transferred her to the prison quarantine instead of taking her to the hospital. Nahid Shirpich has faced severe pressure from security forces since the killing of her son Pooja Bakhtiari during the protests in November 2019 by the Islamic Republic's security forces, being summoned and arrested multiple times. Eventually, after she was sentenced to five years in prison by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj, on November 9, 2022, the Islamic Republic's security forces transferred Ms. Shirpich from Kachoui prison in Karaj to Zanjan Central Prison on the eve of the third anniversary of her son's death, where she has been held in a state of 'exile' for months. During this time, the mother of the victim has repeatedly been targeted in prison. In the latest incident, in July 2023, her daughter, Mona Bakhtiari, posted a video on Instagram stating that during a visit with her mother, she realized that there was an assassination attempt on her life and someone had physically assaulted her mother in prison. If you are thinking about suicide, contact social emergency services at 123 or counseling centers.