Manouchehr Bakhtiari Transferred from Prison to Hospital After Hunger Strike

Mona Bakhtiari, the sister of Pouya Bakhtiari, announced on Tuesday, December 5, via a post on social media platform X, the deteriorating health of her father, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, in prison and his transfer to a hospital. She wrote in the post: "We have learned that my father, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, has been transferred to the hospital in Qazvin in poor physical condition following a hunger strike; he is in urgent need of surgery and has been hospitalized." Manouchehr Bakhtiari declared in a voice message from Qazvin prison on November 7 that he had been deprived of his legal right to medical treatment outside of prison and, in protest against this treatment, began a hunger strike coinciding with the anniversary of his son's death. This imprisoned father seeking justice emphasized that the government is responsible for whatever happens to him. Prince Reza Pahlavi, on November 22, urged Manouchehr Bakhtiari to end his hunger strike in a post on social media X, stating: "You are a symbol of the resistance and quest for justice of a nation. Your hunger strike has raised concerns for me and many people in Iran. I urge you to break your hunger strike to continue this challenging path and fight against Pouya's killers." Following this request, Manouchehr Bakhtiari ended his hunger strike on Friday, November 24, in Chubindar prison in Qazvin, and his sister, Saba Bakhtiari, announced this news in a post on X, thanking "Prince Reza Pahlavi for his continuous support for political prisoners and activists" and all freedom lovers who were concerned about her brother's situation during this time. Abram Paley, Deputy Special Envoy of the U.S. State Department for Iran, also called for the release of Manouchehr Bakhtiari in a message on X on Friday, November 26, coinciding with the anniversary of Pouya Bakhtiari's death. He wrote in the post: "Pouya, like thousands of other protesters during the bloody November 2019 protests, was killed by the Islamic Republic regime. His parents peacefully sought justice for their son. We will remember all the victims of the November protests and those seeking justice." Manouchehr Bakhtiari was first arrested on May 9, 2021, after seeking justice for his son, who was shot dead by government forces on November 25, 2019, in Mehrshahr, Karaj, and was subsequently sentenced to three years and six months in prison, two years and six months of exile, and a two-year travel ban. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic transferred this seeking justice father from Karaj prison to Chubindar prison in Qazvin in July 2022.