Continued 'Medicalization' of Political Prisoners; Hossein Ronaghi Reports Autoimmune Disease After Release from Prison

Hossein Ronaghi, a political activist and former prisoner of the Islamic Republic, announced on social media on Tuesday that he has developed 'an autoimmune disease' after his release from prison. He wrote: 'Unfortunately, after my release from prison, I developed an autoimmune disease characterized by weight gain, facial swelling, muscle weakness and cramps, joint pain and stiffness, high cholesterol, low blood sugar, and temperature sensitivity.' Ronaghi also pointed out ongoing mobility issues related to his legs, stating: 'The lack of improvement in my left leg after surgery and the prolonged recovery period are also symptoms of this autoimmune disease.' This human rights activist had previously stated that his left leg was severely injured (fractured or dislocated) by plainclothes agents during his detention in front of the courthouse. Before Ronaghi, several other political prisoners, including political activist Bahareh Hedayat, actress Taraneh Alidoosti, and Bahar Khaniabpour, a citizen from Behbahan and one of those arrested during the crackdown on the nationwide protests of 2021, reported suffering from 'autoimmune diseases' after their release from the Islamic Republic's prisons. Dr. Mohammad Kazem Attari, a physician and social medicine researcher, told Voice of America in May 2023 that in previous years, the Islamic Republic used substances or administered poisons in prisons that caused cancer or organ failure in some prisoners. Since these substances were traceable in the body, they changed their approach to using materials that would 'disorient' prisoners and force them into 'involuntary reactions, including self-incrimination.' According to this expert, the Islamic Republic currently misuses routine medications and food, leading prisoners towards 'nervous reactions.'