Khalid Pirzadeh, Political Prisoner: I Have No Medicine; I Am Disabled by Pain

Khalid Pirzadeh, a political prisoner suffering from multiple illnesses and physical problems, is currently held in Evin Prison in Tehran. In a message warning about his lack of access to medications and the resurgence of his illnesses, he stated that if anything happens to him, the head of the Prison Organization is responsible. In his message, published on his Instagram account and addressing 'Hashmatollah Hayat al-Ghayb, the head of the Prison Organization,' he said: 'For several weeks, the pain in my back and sciatica has incapacitated me, and I can barely walk. The seizure medication called Depakine 500 has run out; despite several visits, I have received no results. My asthma spray has also run out, and I have not been given that either.' While the responsibility for the health of prisoners in Iran lies with the Prison Organization, a subsidiary of the judiciary, and prisoners are supposed to have the right to free medical treatment, Mr. Pirzadeh stated that prison officials told him 'the cost of physiotherapy outside the prison is the responsibility of the prisoner.' This monarchist political prisoner expressed, 'It seems I am a golden signature child or among the white-collar workers,' addressing the head of the Prison Organization: 'Mr. Hayat al-Ghayb, where exactly are you? In which directive of the Prison Organization does it state that the cost of treatment is the responsibility of the prisoner? Don't you receive an annual budget? What is this budget spent on that such a large organization cannot provide Depakine pills and asthma sprays?' In an audio file recorded during a call from Evin Prison, Mr. Pirzadeh also mentioned that due to 'the negligence of some individuals' and the failure to provide his necessary medications, 'a few days ago, I had a seizure in my sleep and bit my tongue.' He deemed Hayat al-Ghayb's visits to prisons as ineffective and added, 'Your behavior and performance are contrary to what you show, and from this moment on, I and my family hold you personally responsible for anything that happens to me.' Reports of violations of prisoners' rights to medical treatment in Iranian prisons have been documented multiple times. For instance, according to an exclusive report from Qazalhessar Prison, judicial officials there, in addition to widespread violations of prisoners' rights to medical treatment under the pretext of 'lack of budget,' sometimes obtain written consent from them to 'waive treatment.' Khalid (Kushan) Pirzadeh was last arrested in September 2023 by agents of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence in Ahvaz. He was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence, on October 15 of last year, and in January, the 26th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by 'Iman Afshari,' sentenced Khalid Pirzadeh to five years and eight months in prison. Khalid (Kushan) Pirzadeh, a former bodybuilding champion of Iran, was first arrested by government forces in June 2019. In February of that year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for 'gathering and collusion' and 'insulting the leadership,' and during his imprisonment, he developed multiple illnesses, losing his mobility and even control over his bodily functions. While this political prisoner was released in February 2023, he was arrested again in September during a trip to Turkey and has been in prison since then. Along with several political activists in Iran, he stated in a message before Nowruz 2023 that the 'current dire situation' of Iranians is the 'result of thoughts, methods, and goals' that emerged 'with the 1979 Revolution and the deviation of constitutionalism, in the battle between constitutionalists and the proponents of the absolute rule.'