Ehsan Mazandarani's Mother: My Son's Health Condition Has Reached a Warning Stage

The mother of Ehsan Mazandarani, a imprisoned journalist, described her son's physical condition as "critical" and stated that due to illnesses contracted in prison, he is unable to even drink water and liquids. In this situation, the responsibility for his life lies with the Tehran prosecutor. Azam Ekhtiar, in an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on Thursday, September 9, stated: "Ehsan has not been able to eat food for 10 days, and anything with smell or taste is rejected by his stomach. He could only drink water, but now even water and liquids are being rejected by his stomach." According to her, Ehsan Mazandarani's physical condition has reached a "warning stage," and the medical facilities at Evin Prison are not adequate to help him, yet despite the fact that "even the prison chief has reported this issue to the Tehran prosecutor, he has not taken it seriously." Mr. Mazandarani was arrested again on March 13 last year, less than a month after his release, and transferred to Evin Prison. This journalist was sentenced to seven years in prison for "propaganda against the regime and conspiracy to act against national security," which was reduced to one year, one month, and 12 days in the appeals court. Based on this, his sentence should have ended last Bahman (January), but judicial authorities claim that his sentence is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the deterioration of Ehsan Mazandarani's health in prison has raised concerns. His mother says: "When Ehsan was arrested, he was a healthy 29-year-old young man, but gradually during his detention, his illnesses began. He developed lung and breathing problems. Then he suffered from stomach issues, severe duodenal ulcers, and severe stomach ulcers. In the beatings he endured, his meniscus ligament in his knee was injured. He has kidney bleeding, has severe digestive issues, and has developed severe anemia." Ehsan Mazandarani's lawyer also stated on Thursday that given that there is little time left in his client's sentence, he has requested in a letter to the Tehran prosecutor that Mr. Mazandarani be granted medical leave connected to his release. Previously, Elias Hazrati, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, had also written a letter to the head of the judiciary requesting attention to Ehsan Mazandarani's case. The deterioration of Reza Shahabi's health following a hunger strike has also been reported from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, indicating that the labor activist has been on hunger strike for over twenty days. Rababeh Rezai, Mr. Shahabi's wife, who visited him in prison on Wednesday, told the Human Rights Campaign in Iran that "her husband has developed serious physical problems due to the effects of the hunger strike and needs medical care and hospitalization, but judicial authorities are refusing to send him to the hospital." Ms. Rezai described this visit, stating: "He was not well at all, experiencing weight loss and fluctuations in blood pressure and sugar, which are normal during a hunger strike, but he has severe headaches and back pain, and the left side of his body has gone numb, which are bad signs. The hospital does not have a specialist doctor; my husband needs to be hospitalized, but the prison and the prosecutor's office do not allow it." Mr. Shahabi is protesting his re-arrest. He was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2010 for "propaganda against the regime and conspiracy to act against national security" and remained in prison until he was granted medical leave in October 2014. However, despite assurances that his medical leave would also count as part of his sentence, he was transferred back to prison. Iranian judicial authorities have stated that he must remain in prison for more than 900 more days. In this context, the arrest of Sasan Aghaei, the deputy editor of the Etemad newspaper, has drawn criticism from Reporters Without Borders regarding the "gross violation of media freedom and threats against journalists." A letter to the head of the judiciary; Hazrati called for legal action regarding Ehsan Mazandarani's situation. The condition of Reza Shahabi in prison is deteriorating. A petition with 1,000 signatures has been submitted requesting the release of Reza Shahabi. The Syndicate of Workers of the Unit Company has stated: Reza Shahabi's condition is critical.