Some Telegram Channel Managers on Hunger Strike After 100 Days of Detention

The Khabar website reported that several managers of Telegram channels close to the government and reformists have gone on hunger strike in protest against the handling of their cases and their situation after about 100 days of detention. According to the report on Tuesday, June 30, these prisoners have informed their families that they have started a hunger strike in protest against the handling of their cases and their situation. Among those who have gone on hunger strike are Nima Keshvari, Saeed Naqdi, Sobhan Jafari Tash, Javad Jamshidi, Mojtaba Bagheri, and Ali Ahmadnia. These Telegram channel managers were arrested last December. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, announced on June 10 that indictments had been issued for eight of these individuals and their cases had been sent to court. A day before these remarks, 30 members of parliament had asked the Minister of Intelligence for a report on the situation of the detainees, the reasons for their detention, the handling of their charges, and the reasons for their continued detention and uncertainty. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, criticized the detention of managers of several Telegram channels close to the government on April 21 and threatened to publish the Ministry of Intelligence's report on the matter. Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, also stated that the government opposes the detention of Telegram channel managers. In response, the judiciary spokesperson said that there are 'issues regarding the Minister of Intelligence' in this case, and he cannot prepare a report about it. On the same day, Mahmoud Alavi responded to this statement by saying, 'I do not recognize any crime for the admins that I could be an accomplice to; it seems they are my accomplices. Defending the government is not a small crime.' Subsequently, Mahmoud Naqvi Hosseini, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, announced that one of the detainees was the admin of the Minister of Intelligence's Telegram channel. In addition to the Telegram channel managers, several journalists, including Morad Saghafi, Hengameh Shahidi, and Ehsan Mazandarani, as well as Ramin Karimi, a researcher and translator, have also been detained. According to reports, Morad Saghafi has been released, while Hengameh Shahidi and Ehsan Mazandarani remain imprisoned, but there has been no report on the status of Ramin Karimi. On Tuesday, Saeed Saif, the editor-in-chief of the 'Didban Iran' website, reported that Asal Ismailzadeh, his wife who is a photojournalist, has been detained. According to ILNA news agency, he said, 'Although I was the accused in my own case, when I went to the prosecutor's office with my wife yesterday, the judge ordered her detention.' Mr. Saif did not provide further explanations regarding the reasons for his wife's detention.