Evin Prison Officials and Prison Organization Oppose Conditional Release of Reza Shahabi

Reports received by Voice of America indicate that officials from Evin Prison and the Iranian Prison Organization have opposed the conditional release of Reza Shahabi, a jailed member of the board of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate. This opposition comes at a time when Mr. Shahabi urgently needs medical attention. According to reports, the head of Evin Prison, along with the head of Ward 4 of this prison, told Reza Shahabi to draft a letter requesting conditional release and send it to the execution unit. Nevertheless, this labor activist's request for conditional release was rejected following the opposition of the case officer. Earlier, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company criticized what it called the 'indifference' of the Iranian judicial authorities and Evin Prison regarding the deteriorating health conditions of Reza Shahabi in a statement issued on February 6. According to this statement, Reza Shahabi has been deprived of medical leave and surgery despite the confirmation of Evin Prison and Taleghani Hospital doctors regarding the necessity of immediate and emergency surgery on his neck due to previous surgeries on his cervical and lumbar vertebrae. This is while doctors have warned about the serious and irreparable risks of not performing this surgery. Part of this labor activist's illnesses is related to the pressures from interrogations and the torture he has endured in prison over the years. Typically, Iranian officials deny the use of torture in Iranian prisons, but activists, human rights organizations, and several released prisoners have published reports that contradict the claims of Iranian officials. Evin officials prevented Davood Razavi from being sent to the hospital 'on the pretext of not wearing prison clothes.' Sharifeh Mohammadi, a jailed labor activist, states that she is still under interrogation in Sanandaj prison. The campaign to defend Osman Ismaili has warned about the 'gradual death project' concerning this imprisoned labor activist.