Continued Hunger Strike of Ehsan Mazandarani; Isa Saharkhiz Threatens Hunger Strike and Medication Strike

As reports emerge about the "beating" of Ehsan Mazandarani, the imprisoned journalist, and the continuation of his hunger strike, Isa Saharkhiz, another imprisoned journalist, has threatened to initiate a new round of hunger and medication strikes starting Sunday if his demands are not met. In a letter to the Tehran prosecutor published on Friday, October 1, on the Zeyton website, Saharkhiz stated that having served more than half of his sentence, he should be eligible for conditional release, but "high-ranking political and security officials" have opposed his release. He added, "I have no choice but to resort to a hunger and medication strike, the same pressures that led our young journalist Ehsan Mazandarani to this path." This imprisoned journalist, in his letter, referred to a forensic report about his poor physical condition and the "aggravation and increase of chronic and newly emerging diseases during detention in Ward 2-A of the IRGC" and called for his release or "granting long-term medical leave" until the conclusion of the "process of issuing a ruling of inhumane punishment." He threatened that if his demands are not met, he will be "forced" to "once again resort to a hunger and medication strike." Previously, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Saharkhiz's lawyer, had stated that his client "cannot endure imprisonment" and "the prison has also stated that it cannot accommodate him." Isa Saharkhiz has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and has another open case for "insulting" the head of the judiciary in the criminal court of Tehran Province. Saharkhiz, Mazandarani, Afrin Chitsaz, and Saman Safarzadeh were arrested in November 2015. Ehsan Mazandarani has been on hunger strike since Wednesday, October 1, and has threatened to continue this hunger strike until death if his demands are not met. The four conditions proposed by this imprisoned journalist include the "formation of a fact-finding committee" regarding his and his colleagues' arrests, "legal action against the deceivers" of the Supreme Leader and public opinion regarding the project known as "infiltration," release from prison considering that one-third of his sentence has been served, and appearing on state television to defend himself against the accusations made. This journalist informed his wife in a phone call that Houshang Afshar, the guard officer at Evin prison, on Thursday, October 1, during a visit to Ward 8 of Evin prison, after a verbal altercation, "pushed him in such a way that he fell on the stairs of the ward." He had previously written an open letter to Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, requesting the cancellation of the "resolution for inquiry from the agent" for granting leave, conditional release, or amnesty for political prisoners. While four journalists arrested in November of last year remain imprisoned, Sadra Mohaghegh, the social service editor of the Shargh newspaper, was arrested at home on Tuesday, September 29. Yashar Soltani, the editor-in-chief of the "Memari News" website, was also arrested on Saturday, September 27, after visiting the prosecutor's office and remains in custody.