Exclusive | Hunger Strike of 13 Prisoners; Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb: Conditions in Ghezal Hesar are 'Inhumane and Unhygienic'

A human rights organization announced on Wednesday that a number of political prisoners have been on hunger strike since Sunday in protest against their 'transfer from Evin to Ghezal Hesar' and the 'poor conditions in prison.' The news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran reported that 'Luqman Aminpour, Saeed Masouri, Afshin Baymani, Sepehr Imam Jom'e, Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb, Mohammad Shafaei, Saman Saidi (Yasin), Hamzeh Savari, Kamyar Fakour, Ahmadreza Haeri, Reza Salmanzadeh, Jafar Ebrahimi, and Masoud Reza Ebrahimi Nejad,' who are held in the secure section of unit three of Ghezal Hesar prison, are on hunger strike. Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb, one of the prisoners, stated in a message from Ghezal Hesar prison on Wednesday, September 6, which was sent to VOA, that 16 political prisoners were 'abducted under extremely inhumane conditions' without prior notice from wards four, six, and eight of Evin prison and brought to Ghezal Hesar. He described the conditions in Ghezal Hesar prison as 'inhumane and unhygienic' and said they were forced to enter their cells with 'very harsh, ugly, and insulting treatment.' This political prisoner, who is on 'the thirty-first day of hunger strike' in protest against his detention 'accompanied by torture, case fabrication, and issuance of illegal sentences,' emphasized that 'the imprisonments and pressure on families send a message to society' to create 'fear,' but 'the society should not be afraid, just as we are not afraid and have taken our lives in our hands. Because we can save this land based on universal unity and solidarity.' According to Ahmadi Ragheb, the Islamic Republic 'uses every trick to stay in power a few more days to plunder and destroy and support terrorism,' but 'the sovereignty belongs to the people' and 'the people demand the removal of these criminals and traitors from power' and 'the observance of human rights' and 'a national ballot box for elections and will no longer submit to the oppression of clerics, IRGC members, and other militias.' The news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, HRANA, also reported that these prisoners are being held in a '12 square meter' room in the 'quarantine ward before execution' and are deprived of 'basic facilities' such as 'blankets, hot water, and telephone.' These political prisoners were transferred from Evin prison to Ghezal Hesar on Sunday, September 3, while prison officials did not allow them to take personal belongings such as clothes and medicine with them.