Exclusive; Political Prisoners in Ghezal Hesar Respond to Special Guard's 'Threatening Atmosphere' with 'Death to the Dictator' Slogans

A source informed Voice of America that, under the orders of the officials of the Ghezal Hesar prison's 'protection', the special guard has created a 'psychological and threatening atmosphere' in the prison and is harassing political prisoners; several political prisoners have protested this action with 'anti-government slogans'. According to this exclusive report received by Voice of America on Sunday, July 15, special guard soldiers, under the orders of prison 'protection' officials including 'Vahid Ashrafabadi and Sajjad Lorvand', are 'marching and threatening and intimidating political prisoners' in the prison yard, creating a 'threatening atmosphere' with slogans such as 'Prison, be alert, I sacrifice my life for the leader' and 'harassing the prisoners'. According to this source, on Sunday, four political prisoners including 'Reza Mohammadi Tameh, Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, Mostafa Ramazani, and Reza Salmandzadeh' shouted 'anti-government slogans' including 'Death to the Dictator' in response to the threatening atmosphere created by the special guard, leading to 'verbal clashes, and for now, prison officials have ended the march'. The informed source also told Voice of America that the ability of political prisoners to make calls remains limited, with phone calls to their relatives frequently being cut off. The source indicated that the political prisoners suspect that this action by prison officials is due to 'failure in recent appointments' and widespread boycotting of the 'government voting' for the succession of Raisi, as well as 'exposing reports about water rationing, wiretaps, and cutting off political prisoners' phone calls' and 'weekly hunger strikes on Tuesdays against executions'. Previously, Reza Mohammadi, Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, and Mostafa Ramazani, three political prisoners held in Ghezal Hesar prison, had protested against the violation of prisoners' rights, including 'cutting off phone calls, creating censorship and repression, fabricating cases, and also cutting off water and creating health problems for all prisoners'. Additionally, following the release of an audio message from Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb expressing solidarity with the majority of the Iranian people in boycotting the 'mock and staged elections' to determine Raisi's successor, a source close to this political prisoner informed Voice of America that the prison 'protection' officials transferred him to solitary confinement.