Evin Prison Officials Prevent Treatment and Issuance of Non-Imprisonment Ruling for Reza Aghdasi

On Thursday, June 14, the legal advisory group 'Dadban' reported that officials at Evin Prison have 'prevented treatment and the issuance of a non-imprisonment ruling for Reza Aghdasi,' a imprisoned labor activist suffering from various illnesses. Aghdasi, who lost his hearing due to injuries sustained during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and has only 20% hearing with a hearing aid, was sentenced to 51 months in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court on security charges and later received a two-year and eight-month sentence from the appeals court. According to Dadban, Aghdasi was unable to defend himself against the charges due to his deafness. The report states that prison officials have deprived this labor activist, who suffers from severe leg pain and nervous attacks, of the right to be sent to forensic medicine for a non-imprisonment ruling. Dadban added that Aghdasi's specialist has emphasized that to prevent complications from his condition, he must avoid any factors that cause anxiety. The family of Reza Aghdasi is extremely worried that he may experience nervous attacks in prison due to anxiety about the condition of his children, who are also suffering from severe illnesses. The report indicates that Aghdasi has three sons, the eldest of whom is ill and requires over two million tomans monthly for his medications. His youngest child has autism and needs regular counseling. This labor activist was arrested by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at his home last November and transferred to Evin Prison. The investigating judge set a bail of 500 million tomans for his temporary release, but Aghdasi remained in prison due to his inability to provide it. His trial took place a week after his arrest, without his family's knowledge and with deprivation of the right to access a lawyer, in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The charges against Aghdasi included 'collusion and conspiracy to disrupt internal and external security' and 'propaganda against the regime.' According to Dadban, the evidence for these charges included managing a Telegram channel where Aghdasi published his poetry and membership in other Telegram groups. The IRGC accused Aghdasi of 'spreading radical leftist content,' 'communicating with the People's Fedai Guerrillas,' 'promoting guerrilla warfare,' 'violent protests,' 'coercive strikes,' and many other allegations. Typically, the security forces and judicial system of the Islamic Republic accuse labor activists, teachers, and retirees of security and political activities, subsequently sentencing them to prison, flogging, exile, and other punishments. Such actions have drawn criticism from labor unions and professional syndicates worldwide.