Hrana: Reza Aghdasi, imprisoned labor activist, has been denied medical care

Human rights sources report that Reza Aghdasi, a dismissed worker from Iran Khodro and a deaf labor activist who is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, has been "denied" medical care in Evin prison. According to Hrana news agency, Mr. Aghdasi suffers from "multiple illnesses," yet prison officials have even prevented the "delivery of batteries for his hearing aid" to him. The report states that despite "a month passing since the prison doctor prescribed his transfer to a hospital outside the prison," he remains deprived of adequate medical attention. He was tried on Tuesday, November 1, at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran. According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, Mr. Aghdasi was charged without a lawyer with "collusion and conspiracy to act against national security, propaganda against the regime, participating in illegal labor protests, and membership in opposition groups and factions." Typically, the Islamic Republic government condemns political, labor, professional, and civil activists to prison on security charges. Reza Aghdasi was arrested on November 2 after being summoned to the third interrogation branch of Evin and was transferred to Evin prison's quarantine. After his trial, he was moved to Ward 4 of Evin prison. Mr. Aghdasi was also summoned to Evin's interrogation on October 15 and was arrested alongside his wife by government forces during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement in the fall of 2022. In recent months, the crackdown on labor activists and teachers has intensified, drawing severe criticism from labor and teachers' unions worldwide. These unions emphasize the necessity of free organizational activities in Iran, free from any form of repression. The indifference of the prison organization to the treatment of imprisoned labor and professional activists has led European labor unions to demand the release of three imprisoned labor and civil activists.