Exclusive | Khaled Pirzadeh Appeared in Interrogation Session with Sewn Eyes

Human rights sources reported on the interrogation session for Khaled Pirzadeh, a political prisoner. An informed source told Voice of America that this constitutional activist appeared in court with sewn eyes in protest against the pressures that Iranian authorities are placing on his family. A source close to Khaled Pirzadeh stated on Tuesday, December 7, to the Persian section of Voice of America that his interrogation session took place on Monday, December 6, in the third branch of the Evin Prosecutor's Office. According to this informed source, Khaled Pirzadeh 'sewed his eyes shut at midnight on December 6' because 'all of his family's accounts, which contained some money for renewing the rent of the house they are tenants in, have been frozen.' He also emphasized that with the blocking of these bank accounts and considering the rising inflation, Khaled Pirzadeh's family can no longer afford to pay the rent with the previous amount. This source close to Mr. Pirzadeh also emphasized that during the interrogation session, among various charges, 'spreading falsehoods' was removed from his case, but regarding the charge of 'illegally obtaining property,' 'confessions were extracted from him under duress,' pointing out that this issue is related to the freezing of accounts that friends had helped him with for treatment, and in this account, which belongs to his wife, there is also the amount for the house deposit. Furthermore, HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, reported that this constitutional political prisoner defended himself against charges including 'propaganda against the regime' and 'conspiracy and collusion' during the interrogation session. Khaled Pirzadeh was arrested by Iranian security forces at Ahvaz airport in September this year while intending to travel to Turkey for continued treatment and was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran. He was later moved to Ward 6 of Evin Prison in October and was taken to the hospital on November 23 due to 'seizures and heart constriction.' Meanwhile, a source close to Khaled Pirzadeh told Voice of America that this political activist was 'relatively well and receiving treatment' at the time of his arrest, 'except for the pain he felt in his left knee and the weakness he had while walking.' Khaled (Koushan) Pirzadeh, a former bodybuilding champion of Iran, was arrested by government forces in June 2019. In February of the same year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison by the 28th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by 'Mohammad Mogheiseh,' on charges of 'conspiracy and collusion' and 'insulting the leadership.' This athlete, who won third place in the 'World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation' competition in Singapore in 2020, went on hunger strikes multiple times during his imprisonment and sewed his eyelids shut in January 2021 in protest against his situation. This political prisoner was released in February 2023 while unable to walk, with his health condition reported to be severe due to spinal cord injuries from broken vertebrae and anxiety disorders. After his release, he regained a significant portion of his health through continuous medical services. Khaled Pirzadeh, along with several other political activists inside and outside of prison in Iran, issued a joint message on the eve of the New Year, stating that the 'current dire situation' of Iranians is the 'result of thoughts, methods, and goals' that emerged 'with the 1979 Revolution and the deviation of constitutionalism, 'in the battle between constitutionalists and proponents of legitimacy.'