Mahmoud Salehi's Family Expresses Concern Over His Health Condition

The family of Mahmoud Salehi, a labor activist in Kurdistan province of Iran, has expressed concern over his health condition. Mahmoud Salehi was arrested by intelligence agents on November 7, after undergoing kidney dialysis, and was transferred to Saghez Central Prison to serve a one-year sentence. On November 12, due to a worsening heart condition, he was taken to the prison's medical facility and then to Imam Khomeini Hospital in the city, where he has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit since. According to Mr. Salehi's family, the attending physician has recommended that this labor activist be transferred to one of the hospitals in Tehran, Tabriz, or Urmia for further heart treatment. However, this recommendation has not yet been acted upon. Samerand Salehi, Mahmoud Salehi's son, previously told Radio Farda that his father has undergone heart surgery twice this year. Additionally, Mr. Salehi's kidneys require dialysis twice a week. Mahmoud Salehi, who officially announced on his Facebook that he lost his kidneys while in detention at the Sanandaj intelligence office in 2015, also suffers from diabetes. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Intelligence or the government of Hassan Rouhani has not responded to Mr. Salehi's statements during this time. Some reports, along with a photo of Mahmoud Salehi in the hospital, indicate that three Saghez prison officers are guarding him and that his legs are shackled. Raha Bahreini, a researcher for Amnesty International on Iran, expressed regret that Iranian authorities, instead of immediately releasing Mahmoud Salehi and other prisoners, including Mohammad Nazari, have handcuffed and shackled them like criminals and subjected them to mistreatment and humiliating behavior. According to Amnesty International, international law permits the use of restraints such as handcuffs and shackles 'only when there is a risk of escape or harm to oneself or others, and simpler control methods cannot prevent these risks.' The organization emphasizes that 'the use of shackles and restraints that cause pain and humiliation to the prisoner and violate their human dignity is prohibited under all circumstances.' Previously, several political prisoners have refused to be transferred to hospitals in protest against the use of handcuffs and shackles or being forced to wear prisoner clothing. Meanwhile, Amnesty International, referencing its investigations, stated that judicial authorities and prison officials in Iran 'consistently act against these international standards and insist on the unnecessary use of handcuffs and shackles to restrain political prisoners who are ill to hospital beds.' According to this organization, 'this behavior is generally aimed at harassing, punishing, and humiliating prisoners and inflicting additional pain and suffering on them, and in many cases, it has disrupted or delayed the treatment process.' Amnesty International had previously called on Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mahmoud Salehi and ensure his immediate and regular access to specialized medical care outside of prison until his release. The General Secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions, in a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on November 7, expressed deep concern over Mahmoud Salehi's health condition while criticizing 'the continued crackdown on independent labor organizations and labor activists in Iran.' The General Secretary also emphasized that Mahmoud Salehi should not be returned to prison and that all charges against him should be dropped. Previously, several labor organizations in Iran had criticized Mr. Salehi's arrest. The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate condemned Mahmoud Salehi's arrest, noting that his illness 'is a result of years of enduring imprisonment in the past and the negligence of officials in his treatment.' This syndicate called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahmoud Salehi and other workers and labor activists.