Five Political Prisoners in Rajai-Shahr: We Will Continue Our Hunger Strike Until Security is Ensured

Five political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr prison, who are on hunger strike in protest against the "beating" of political prisoners by "two notorious inmates," have stated in a declaration that their assailants are also "victims of prison management policies" and announced that they will continue their hunger strike. According to the website Kalemeh, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, these five political prisoners emphasized that they will continue their hunger strike until the assailants are transferred to another ward and their "security" is ensured. Reports indicate that on Saturday, December 7, two inmates from Hall 12 of Ward 4 in Rajai-Shahr prison, who have a "history of violence and mischief," attacked a group of political prisoners with knives after "threatening and intimidating" them. Meanwhile, from Saturday, Saeed Razavi Faqih, Saeed Madani, Jafar Aghdami, Behzad Arabgol, and Kamran Iazdi, political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr prison, announced an "unlimited hunger strike" demanding the transfer of the assailants from the hall of political prisoners. In this context, the website Kalemeh published images of Saeed Madani and Saeed Razavi Faqih showing cuts on their faces and necks. The website also reported on Tuesday that Saeed Razavi Faqih's condition is "poor due to lack of access to vital medications." Mr. Razavi Faqih himself reported in an article published on Wednesday, December 10, that he and Saeed Madani were "stabbed in several places." According to Mr. Razavi Faqih, two "notorious" inmates unexpectedly attacked him and Saeed Madani with knives in the prison yard. Following this incident, Saeed Razavi Faqih and Saeed Madani did not receive "the most basic medical facilities," and the assailants were returned to their previous ward. Mr. Razavi Faqih added: "This is while according to the prison organization regulations and current practices, any inmate who threatens and injures others with a knife should be separated and then transferred from their hall and ward." The Kalemeh website previously reported that the assailants are "supported" by the management and "security and intelligence" of Rajai-Shahr prison, and prison officials have not taken any preventive measures to protect political prisoners from attacks. Meanwhile, Mansoureh Etefaq, Saeed Madani's wife, stated in an interview with the International Human Rights Campaign website that "despite the numerous harassments" by these assailants towards other prisoners, officials have still not addressed the issue. She added: "These two always create disturbances for the other inmates and frequently get into fights. One of them is also a drug dealer in the ward." In recent days, some political activists and former political prisoners have urged the political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr to reveal the names of their assailants. However, according to the Kalemeh website, these five prisoners stated that "to protect the dignity of the innocent families of the assailants, they are unwilling to disclose their names and will never reduce their protest to the ugly and indefensible behavior of two or more inmates or personal conflicts." According to this report, they emphasized that they demand "the cessation of current prison management practices and direct and indirect threats, both overt and covert, against their physical and mental security and that of their fellow inmates." In recent years, especially after the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election, political prisoners have repeatedly gone on hunger strikes in protest against their detention conditions and incidents such as "beatings" by prison officials. Political prisoners have previously stated that according to the prison organization regulations regarding the separation of inmates based on their crimes and charges, political prisoners should be housed together in one ward. Ward 350 of Evin prison and some wards of Rajai-Shahr prison were turned into special wards for political prisoners after the 2009 presidential election. However, following widespread reports of the "beating" of prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin prison by prison guards and security agents on Thursday, April 17, 2014, several political prisoners held in this ward were transferred to a building that had previously quarantined Ward 7 of Evin prison and also to Rajai-Shahr prison.