Exclusive; Anesthesia and 'Stomach Bleeding' of Zahra Sarv on the Nineteenth Day of Hunger Strike

Reports received by Voice of America indicate that Zahra Sarv, a political prisoner in Evin, was transferred to the hospital twice on the eighteenth and nineteenth days of her hunger strike and was returned to prison after a few hours. A source close to Zahra Sarv, a constitutionalist prisoner, informed Voice of America on Tuesday, December 21, that this political prisoner, who has been on hunger strike in Evin since December 2, 'fainted' and became unconscious at 10 PM on Monday. With the follow-up of some other political prisoners including 'Narges Mohammadi, Samaneh Norooz Moradi, Sepideh Gholian, Mahbubeh Rezaei, and Mahnaz Tarah,' she was transferred to the hospital for the second time by prison authorities. This source warned about the deterioration of Zahra Sarv's condition, stating that her blood pressure had dropped to 'six over four' and her blood sugar had reached '60.' Additionally, 'the doctor said that if the hunger strike continues, her internal organs will suffer serious damage and there is a risk of coma.' However, prison officials returned her to the prison at four in the morning. According to information received by Voice of America on Monday, on the evening of Sunday, December 19, Zahra Sarv also 'coughed up blood' and was transferred to 'Taleghani Hospital.' Based on the statements of the source close to Zahra Sarv, doctors diagnosed that 'her stomach is bleeding' and stated that 'she must stay in the hospital.' She was in the hospital until four in the morning, but at the insistence of the guards, she was returned to her cell in Evin prison. According to this source, on Sunday evening, 'Zahra Sarv's heart rate reached 50' per minute and 'her blood pressure was seven over four.' The continued indifference of judicial authorities to the situation of this political prisoner comes as her health is at risk on the nineteenth day of her hunger strike. According to previous reports by Voice of America, Zahra Sarv has been on hunger strike since Thursday, December 2, in protest against 'the continuation of case-making, preventing conditional release or leave, and deprivation of the right to treatment.' According to the doctor's diagnosis, Zahra Sarv's 'anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in her right leg' are 'torn' and she requires surgery. This political prisoner was 'released for 45 days' after spending two and a half years in Qarchak prison in Varamin in 1400, but was re-arrested and has been in Evin prison for 'almost three years.' According to the source, 'after the fire in Evin in 1401, the authorities used the pretext of transferring Zahra Sarv to the hospital for treatment to take her out of prison and exiled her to Qarchak prison for nearly five months.' Many human rights activists view hunger strikes as a last resort for prisoners to demand their rights and to make their voices heard by the public.