Reporters Without Borders condemned Iranian authorities for the continued imprisonment of Hengameh Shahidi and called for her unconditional release. The organization's statement, released on Thursday, May 21, warns that Shahidi's dry hunger strike poses a 'danger of death' to her. Hengameh Shahidi, who is imprisoned in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, has been on a wet hunger strike for the past two months. However, her situation has become more dangerous due to her dry hunger strike, which she began on Wednesday, abstaining from drinking liquids as well. According to Reporters Without Borders, Shahidi stated in a meeting with her mother that the reason for her dry hunger strike was 'protest against her detention conditions, the pressure from interrogators to confess to crimes she did not commit, and being deprived of the right to meet with her lawyer.' Reporters Without Borders emphasizes that 'deprivation of medical treatment, torture, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of political prisoners, including imprisoned journalists, is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Iran is a signatory.' This organization defending journalists worldwide finally reminds that the Islamic Republic of Iran currently holds '28 imprisoned journalists and citizen journalists, making it one of the five largest prisons in the world for media activists, and this country ranks 165th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders in 2017.' Iranian security forces arrested Hengameh Shahidi on March 10, 2017, and transferred her to Evin Prison, but the reason for her arrest or the charges against her have not been disclosed since that day. Shahidi recently related her arrest to the presidential elections in a letter to Hassan Rouhani, stating that the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence are working in a 'joint project' to widely arrest journalists and political and civil activists.
Reporters Without Borders: The Danger of Death Threatens Hengameh Shahidi
Reporters Without Borders has condemned Iranian authorities for the continued imprisonment of journalist Hengameh Shahidi, who is on a hunger strike that poses a serious risk to her health. Shahidi's situation highlights ongoing human rights abuses in Iran, particularly against journalists. This matter is significant as it reflects the broader repression of free speech and the treatment of political prisoners in the country.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Reporters Without Borders condemns Iran for Hengameh Shahidi's imprisonment and hunger strike.
- Reporters Without Borders condemn Iranian authorities
- Reporters Without Borders call for release Hengameh Shahidi
- Iranian security forces arrest Hengameh Shahidi
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The case of Hengameh Shahidi exemplifies the severe restrictions on freedom of expression in Iran.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%