Kokabi's Lawyer: Basic Medical Services Have Long Been Denied to Him

While the spokesperson for the judiciary announced on Sunday that Omid Kokabi has access to medical services, Kokabi's lawyer states that his client has been suffering from kidney pain for a long time but was only given painkillers in prison, and basic medical services such as ultrasound have been denied to him. Saeed Khalili, in an interview with ILNA on Sunday, May 5, said that had medical services been provided to Omid Kokabi, the existence of a tumor and its malignancy would have been identified much sooner, and his illness would likely not have led to the removal of his kidney. He also pointed out that according to the treating physician's recommendation, Kokabi's future life must be accompanied by 'careful medical supervision and in an environment free from stress and mental pressures,' and the prison environment is 'dangerous and problematic' for him. Khalili reported that the cancerous mass along with Kokabi's right kidney has been removed, but the pathology test results are not yet clear, and it is unknown whether 'the cancer has spread to other parts of his body.' Omid Kokabi, a physics researcher, has been imprisoned without leave for five years and three months. He underwent surgery at Sina Hospital in Tehran on Wednesday, April 1, and due to kidney cancer, one of his kidneys was completely removed. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesperson, however, rejected reports about Kokabi's lack of access to medical services, stating that 'he has the necessary facilities.' According to an audio file of Ejei's remarks published by IRNA, he emphasized that if Omid Kokabi 'were free, he would be treated, and he is currently being treated.' He added, 'Doesn't anyone outside of prison suffer from kidney pain? One cannot say that if someone gets sick in prison, their conviction means nothing. He has been convicted of espionage.' Ejei's statements come despite Kokabi's lawyer claiming that his client 'has met the conditions for conditional release for more than two years according to the law.' Kokabi's freedom 'is a legal obligation, not a possibility or a discretionary matter.' Khalili also noted that Kokabi has been denied leave so far, while according to prison regulations, prisoners should be granted 'five days of leave per month, except for those convicted of murder, armed robbery, and some anti-social crimes.' Kokabi's lawyer emphasized that his client's conviction 'was a mistake and largely based on a misunderstanding stemming from the tense international relations' at the time of his arrest. He added, 'Receiving a small amount of funding for a scholarship or travel expenses to attend scientific conferences from reputable universities is a completely common and normal matter for a scientist like Omid, which has been assumed here as a reason for accusation.' Kokabi's lawyer also stated that the 36th branch of the Supreme Court in 2014 deemed his client 'innocent and the issued verdict lacking legitimacy and subject to reinstatement,' but 'the court, with a broad interpretation of the law, rejected the Supreme Court's reasoning and reinstated the previous harsher conviction.' Omid Kokabi, 30 years old, from Iran's Sunni minority, is a graduate of Sharif University of Technology and a PhD student in atomic physics with a focus on lasers at the University of Texas in the USA. He was arrested at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran while trying to leave the country after visiting his family in 2010. Kokabi spent a long time in solitary confinement, and his family and lawyer were unable to contact him. After 15 months of temporary detention, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a court presided over by Judge Salavati on charges of having connections with 'hostile governments.' In a letter he published from prison, he wrote that his arrest and imprisonment occurred after he rejected an offer to collaborate with the military-security apparatus of the Islamic Republic on a military research project. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Center reported on Saturday, April 4, that Alireza Rajai, a journalist who was recently released after completing his sentence, is suffering from jaw and facial cancer. According to the report, Rajai 'became ill during his imprisonment, and appropriate action was not taken by the responsible authorities in Evin Prison to send him to specialized treatment centers for his treatment.' The Human Rights Defenders Center also stated that another prisoner, Zeinab Jalalian, needs to be sent to specialized treatment centers for her eye treatment. According to the report, Hossein Ronaghi Maleki also requires 'specialized treatment.' Previously, Amnesty International had stated that Zeinab Jalalian, a Kurdish prisoner in Iran sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of membership in the PJAK group, is at risk of losing her eyesight completely and needs immediate treatment. Reports indicate that Hossein Ronaghi Maleki has been on a hunger strike since April 7 in protest against the prison authorities' refusal to provide medical treatment. His family claims that he lost one of his kidneys during his imprisonment, and the other is infected.