Nightmare of Death in the Prisons of the Islamic Republic; The Government is Responsible for the Lives of All Prisoners

The number of prisoners who have died in the prisons of the Islamic Republic has been increasing significantly. In the latest case, human rights organizations reported the death of Faramarz Javidzad, a Jewish citizen in prison, stating that he lost his life due to illness and lack of access to medical care. Two human rights experts emphasized in an interview with VOA's News Hour that protecting the life and health of all prisoners, regardless of the charges against them, is the responsibility of governments, and the Islamic Republic must protect the lives of all prisoners according to Iranian laws and international laws. Mohammad Moghimy, a lawyer and human rights expert, stated: 'According to all global laws and even the laws of the Islamic Republic, the judiciary and prison organizations are responsible for the lives of all detainees and prisoners, regardless of the crime. According to Articles 502 and 522 of the Criminal Procedure Code, if imprisonment exacerbates the individual's illness or delays their recovery, the judicial authority must release that prisoner or transfer them to medical centers.' He added that in the recent deaths of prisoners, not only international laws but also the laws of the Islamic Republic have been violated, stating: 'The authorities of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for these deaths, as these deaths amount to homicide by causation and, at best, negligence and oversight.' Dr. Hassan Nayeb Hashem, a physician and human rights advocate, also commented on the rising number of prisoner deaths in Iran, saying: 'In the Islamic Republic, the life of a prisoner is completely worthless, and governmental institutions and prison officials do not value the humanity of prisoners. Moreover, in some cases where the prisoner is Bahá'í or Jewish, the prison guards treat these prisoners with much harsher behavior and hatred.' He referred to this type of prisoner death as 'silent executions' and added that the Islamic Republic, alongside open executions, intentionally pursues 'silent executions' but tries to pretend that these deaths are natural, a claim that society has never accepted or reconciled with. Dr. Nayeb Hashem considered deprivation of treatment and medication as a form of torture and emphasized: 'Families of prisoners, in case of delay or refusal by the authorities to accept medications or transfer sick prisoners to medical centers, should pursue the status of their sick prisoners through legal means and seek help from international organizations.' Faramarz Javidzad, a Jewish prisoner in Iran suffering from 'heart disease, diabetes, and stomach bleeding,' experienced 'stomach bleeding and severe drop in blood pressure' on Friday, September 22, and died in Evin. Human rights sources have cited the lack of medical attention as the cause of his death. The public relations office of the Tehran Provincial Prisons Administration denied the cause of death, calling it 'media manipulation by hostile media' and claimed that this prisoner had been sent to medical centers outside the prison five times due to a history of gastrointestinal disease and was transferred to the infirmary on October 1 'after his condition worsened' and despite medical efforts, 'he died.' Matthew Miller stated: 'As far as we know, Faramarz Javidzad is not an American citizen.' The lawyer of Faramarz Javidzad told VOA: 'His case was not political; being Jewish put more pressure on him.' The U.S. rejected the request of Amir-Abdollahian for a trip to Washington. The death of a Jewish citizen prisoner in Iran; Tanaz Kolahchian stated: 'His being Jewish led to increased pressures and restrictions.' Exclusively, the U.S. State Department is seeking additional information regarding the death of a dual-national prisoner in Evin.