Iran Human Rights Campaign: At Least 34 Political Prisoners Have Been Denied Adequate Medical Care in the Past Two and a Half Months

The Iran Human Rights Campaign has announced the "systematic" and "deliberate" deprivation of at least 34 political prisoners from access to adequate medical services in recent months in Iran, calling for an international response regarding this matter. According to the report published on Wednesday, August 31, during the period from May 31 to August 16 of this year, at least 34 political prisoners faced extensive medical deprivations, including being denied access to medication or being prevented from being transferred to medical facilities outside of prison. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, has described the deliberate and systematic deprivation of political prisoners from medical care as potentially equivalent to state-sponsored murder and called for a "decisive, coordinated, and firm" stance from the international community against this "illegal, unethical, and audacious action by the authorities of the Islamic Republic." The Iran Human Rights Campaign has urged the international community, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations and medical associations worldwide to "compel the authorities of the Islamic Republic to immediately provide full and adequate care for all sick prisoners, including transfers to medical facilities outside of prison." In its report, the human rights organization detailed the conditions of nine of these prisoners, namely Afshin Baymani, Samaneh Norooz Moradi, Marzieh Farsi, Afif Naeimi, Jaber Sakhraoui, Anvar Chaleshi, Wesam Mazraeh, Abdolamir Zargani, and Hamzeh Savari, in the prisons of Qezel Hessar Karaj, Evin Prison, Central Prison of Karaj, Sheiban Ahvaz Prison, and Central Prison of Urmia. According to this report, Afshin Baymani, a 50-year-old political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment in Qezel Hessar Karaj and suffering from "coronary artery disease," has been denied medical leave despite needing an angiography. Samaneh Norooz Moradi, a 37-year-old political activist imprisoned in Evin Prison and suffering from "joint disease and breast cancer," is enduring her condition without any treatment process in prison. Marzieh Farsi, a 55-year-old political prisoner held in Evin Prison and "suffering from cancer," is deprived of "special medical attention" in prison. Afif Naeimi, a 63-year-old Baha'i citizen in Central Prison of Karaj with a history of "stroke in prison" and suffering from "heart disease," has had "no access to any treatment" and is facing "harsh conditions and lack of medical attention." Jaber Sakhraoui, a 40-year-old political prisoner suffering from "MS" who has had a "stroke," has spent the past decade in Sheiban Ahvaz Prison without even a single day of leave, and currently, the right side of his body is paralyzed. Anvar Chaleshi, a 50-year-old political prisoner suffering from "colon cancer" who is held in Urmia Prison, is being kept in a state of uncertainty in Khomeini Hospital in Urmia with handcuffs and shackles due to the Intelligence Ministry's opposition to his medical leave and lack of financial means to cover treatment costs. Wesam Mazraeh, a 32-year-old ideological prisoner held in Sheiban Ahvaz Prison, has been denied access to medication and specialist consultations despite suffering from "cancer (tumor in the head)." Abdolamir Zargani, a 28-year-old political prisoner in Sheiban Ahvaz Prison suffering from advanced "cataract," has been deprived of treatment by a specialist doctor. Hamzeh Savari Lefteh, a 37-year-old political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment in Qezel Hessar Karaj and "suffering from MS," has been denied adequate medical care and transfer to a hospital despite his poor physical condition. The Iran Human Rights Campaign emphasized that "the judiciary of the Islamic Republic and prison officials are trying to silence the voices of political prisoners who protest against the numerous death sentences and arbitrary convictions of unjust courts by applying these pressures." The campaign also reported a "significant increase" in the number of political prisoners deprived of medical services in Iranian prisons over the past months. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, stressed that "without a decisive and comprehensive international response, the authorities of the Islamic Republic will continue their efforts to convert prison sentences into executions in the silence of the media." Activists and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned about the deprivation of prisoners' right to treatment in the prisons of the Islamic Republic.