Exclusive; Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb Protests 'Repeated Case Fabrication' in Prison by Going on Hunger Strike

A knowledgeable source told Voice of America that Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, a political prisoner, has been on a hunger strike since Sunday in protest against 'repeated case fabrication' against him in prison. This source informed the Persian section of Voice of America that a new case has been opened against Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb on charges of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic,' based on an 'audio file' he released from prison. On September 6, following the transfer of a group of political prisoners from Evin to Qazalhesar, Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb stated in a message from prison, which was sent to Voice of America, that 16 political prisoners were 'abducted under extremely inhumane conditions' without prior notice from wards four, six, and eight of Evin prison and taken to Qazalhesar. According to this informed source, the mentioned case has been opened in 'Branch 7 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Karaj,' presided over by 'Vahid Chaghini,' and his final defense was taken from him on Saturday. The source also emphasized that Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb has been on a 'wet hunger strike' since Sunday in protest against these repeated fabrications. A wet hunger strike refers to a type of hunger strike where the protester drinks water but abstains from food and other edibles. Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, a firefighter who was dismissed from his job due to civil and human rights activities, has a history of imprisonment and has frequently gone on hunger strikes in protest against human rights violations in Iran. On March 7, 2023, he was arrested 'with violence' while intending to participate in a teachers' protest against the serial poisoning of students in Iranian schools, just weeks after being released from Rajai Shahr prison. During the short time he was out of prison, he spoke to Voice of America in a special program about hunger strikes, sharing his experiences in this regard. An informed source close to Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb told Voice of America on November 30 that the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has sentenced this human rights activist to 'three years and nine months in prison' without issuing a verdict. In another report, an informed source has reported that Davood Abdollahi, a 41-year-old Sunni prisoner sentenced to death, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Qazalhesar prison, and there is a risk of his death sentence being carried out.