Ostman Ismaili, Labor Activist, Transferred to Prison Instead of Hospital

"The Committee for the Defense of Ostman Ismaili" announced on Tuesday, August 14, that this labor activist was summoned via a phone call from the second branch of criminal enforcement in the city of Saqqez and was arrested and transferred to the central prison of this city upon the judge's order. According to the statement, the judge informed Mr. Ismaili that, based on the forensic medical assessment from Sanandaj, he is capable of serving his sentence. The Committee emphasized that his transfer back to the central prison of Saqqez was 'completely deliberate' and that the security agencies in Kurdistan province and the Saqqez prosecutor are fully aware of his deteriorating health condition, thus any danger to his life is the direct responsibility of the security and judicial authorities and the head of Saqqez prison. The statement noted that Mr. Ismaili suffers from spinal canal stenosis, which severely affects four vertebrae of his spine, and he has an 'urgent' need for surgery. It added that he was supposed to visit Firouzgar Hospital in Tehran on August 21, but due to his transfer to prison, his treatment has become 'clouded in ambiguity.' Ostman Ismaili was released on bail of one billion tomans for medical leave on May 25 and has undergone surgery five times in Sanandaj, Mahabad, and Tehran. In this context, Yadollah Samadi, spokesperson for the campaign defending Ostman Ismaili, told Voice of America that he was returned to prison in a condition where 'he had a very concerning physical state.' Mr. Samadi pointed out the 'critical condition' of this labor activist after five surgeries, stating regarding his spinal canal stenosis that 'the surgery was conditional on improving his heart and vascular condition, particularly due to the lack of complete anesthesia, and unfortunately, despite the fact that he cannot even walk without a cane, he was returned to prison, and this situation has made all of us worried about his health condition.' Currently, several labor and trade activists such as Reza Shahabi, Davood Razavi, Hassan Saidi, Nasrin Javadi, Najat Anwar Hamidi, and Sarvnaz Ahmadi are in need of treatment and medical leave due to illness; however, prison officials, including those at Evin Prison, have opposed this issue. Ostman Ismaili, a jailed labor activist, was granted medical leave on bail of one billion tomans. A letter from labor activists to trade unions worldwide: 'Demand the release of imprisoned workers in Iran.' An open letter from Reza Shahabi and Davood Razavi criticizing the International Labor Organization (ILO) for its negligence regarding the violation of workers' fundamental rights in Iran. The health condition of Sarvnaz Ahmadi in Evin Prison has been reported as 'very critical'; officials oppose her medical leave. Ebrahim Madadi, one of the founders of the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran Bus Company, was arrested at Evin Prosecutor's Office.