Exclusive: Mehdi Maskinnavaz Self-Immolated in Prison Following Ban on Contact with His Daughter

Reports received by Voice of America indicate that Mehdi Maskinnavaz, a political prisoner held in Evin prison, self-immolated in protest against the "cut of contact with his daughter" by "pouring boiling water over himself" and was transferred to the hospital. An informed source reported to the Persian section of Voice of America on Thursday, January 18, that "Mehdi Maskinnavaz carried out this act due to the immense pressures he has faced in prison." After the self-immolation, Maskinnavaz was transferred from Ward 6 of Evin prison to "Motahari Hospital" in Tehran. The source stated that currently, the family of this political prisoner is "present in front of the hospital." According to the latest details received by Voice of America, Mr. Maskinnavaz is hospitalized with "36% burns" and "his entire body is bandaged." The source also mentioned that "his only daughter" was able to see Mehdi Maskinnavaz for "a few minutes" and he was "moaning from the burns." The source further stated that "all political prisoners in Ward 6," which includes "more than 30 prisoners," have gone on a hunger strike in protest against the pressures imposed on Mehdi Maskinnavaz, which led to his self-immolation with boiling water. According to him, Asal Maskinnavaz, the teenage daughter of this political prisoner who has also been arrested previously, is "in a dire situation." Another source indicated that in addition to the "cut of phone and visitation" for this political prisoner with his daughter, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic did not agree to grant him leave to attend the funerals of two of his close relatives, including his father, despite their passing. Mehdi Maskinnavaz, a political prisoner in Evin prison, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court in connection with a case opened against him during his imprisonment. He was first arrested in May 2019 by the security forces of the Islamic Republic in Bandar Anzali for "activities in cyberspace and managing a Telegram channel with a subversive theme." This constitutionalist political prisoner was sentenced on December 9 of the same year by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a total of 13 years and two months of imprisonment, two years of forced residence in Faharj, Kerman, and a ban on membership in political parties and groups for charges of "collusion and conspiracy, acting against national security, insulting the leadership, and propaganda against the regime." Details of the charges against Mr. Maskinnavaz included "communication with expatriates, teaching slogan writing, how to act in street protests," and "posting content and posts in cyberspace and the Telegram channel." Previously, a source close to Mehdi Maskinnavaz's family had told Voice of America on the first of Ordibehesht this year that the IRGC's intelligence had informed Asal Maskinnavaz during a call that she would not be pardoned and her case would be reopened. According to this informed source, Asal Maskinnavaz, 17 years old, was interrogated on April 11 in Branch 3 of the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, and her request for a lawyer was denied. The self-immolation of Mehdi Maskinnavaz is not the first case of self-harm by prisoners due to the pressures of the Islamic Republic's prison authorities. On Wednesday, human rights sources reported the suicide of two other prisoners, one of whom died.