Human Rights Watch Calls for the Release of Golrokh Iraee

On Tuesday, April 21, Human Rights Watch issued a statement urging the Iranian government to immediately release Golrokh Iraee, a political prisoner who has been hospitalized due to a hunger strike. The organization emphasized that Iraee's health condition is poor and that she was transferred to the hospital due to complications from the hunger strike. Human Rights Watch added that Iraee is in prison solely for her peaceful activities and has been denied the right to a fair trial. Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director of Human Rights Watch, stated that Iranian authorities seem so threatened by human rights activists that they imprison them for years. Whitson emphasized that instead of making prison conditions harsher for human rights activists, the Iranian government should respect their demands for rights and freedoms for all citizens. The Middle East director further stated that there is no evidence indicating that Iraee has committed any crime, thus her detention is illegal even for one more day and she should be released immediately. About two months ago, Iraee was transferred from Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison near Varamin along with Atena Daemi, another political prisoner. Human Rights Watch reported that the two prisoners went on a hunger strike on January 14 in protest of worsening prison conditions. Daemi eventually ended her hunger strike, but Iraee was hospitalized due to continuing her strike. Previously, four senior UN human rights experts expressed concern about reports of beatings and inhumane treatment of Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee, warning about the situation of human rights activists in Iran. Iraee has been accused of insulting religious sanctities for writing an unpublished story about stoning and faces charges of propaganda against the regime, resulting in a total sentence of six years in prison. In this context, a Twitter campaign for the release of Golrokh Iraee has emerged, alongside expressions of concern from UN reporters regarding the situation of Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee, and criticism from Amnesty International regarding the inhumane treatment of both in prison.