Continued Opposition from Officials Against Medical Leave for Manoochehr Bakhtiari; The Health Condition of This Grieving Father is Critical

The news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Hrana, reported that Manoochehr Bakhtiari, a grieving prisoner held in Choubindar Prison in Qazvin, has been denied medical leave despite his poor health condition due to opposition and obstruction from relevant officials. Hrana quoted Sara Abasi, the wife of Manoochehr Bakhtiari, stating: 'Mr. Bakhtiari suffers from multiple illnesses including hernia and prostate issues and requires surgery. On Wednesday, December 13, the prosecutor of Karaj signed the letter for my husband's medical leave with bail, but the next day, despite the bail being secured and family members visiting the relevant unit, they announced that his medical leave was canceled by order of the relevant officials.' According to Mrs. Abasi, Manoochehr Bakhtiari, the father of Pouya Bakhtiari, who was killed during the protests of November 2019, has been in solitary confinement in Qazvin Prison for over 500 days, is deprived of family visits, and faces restrictions in making phone calls. She previously told Hrana about Manoochehr Bakhtiari's health condition: 'More than a year and a half ago, forensic medicine emphasized the need for immediate surgery for my husband's hernia and prostate; he has also suffered from tooth pain for over three months, but due to the excuses of the relevant officials, he has been deprived of specialized medical care and medical leave.' Manoochehr Bakhtiari was arrested on April 28, 2021, by government forces at his home in Tehran. He was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to 3 years and 6 months in prison, 2 years and 6 months of exile, and 2 years of travel ban, and was transferred from the detention center of one of the security agencies to the central prison of Karaj. This grieving citizen was transferred to Choubindar Prison in Qazvin in July 2022. On November 1 of this year, he was sentenced to six months in prison by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court in Qazvin for what was described as 'insulting the leadership' in a case opened against him during his imprisonment. Manoochehr Bakhtiari's son, Pouya Bakhtiari, was shot dead during the protests of November 2019 in Phase 4 of Mehrshahr, Karaj.