U.S. State Department Calls for Immediate Release of Farhad Meysami

The U.S. State Department condemned the detention of Farhad Meysami, a civil rights activist and physician, and called for his immediate release. In a Twitter message on Friday, December 7, the department stated that Mr. Meysami's detention was 'arbitrary' and that Washington has significant concerns about his deteriorating physical health. Farhad Meysami was arrested on July 30, and according to reports, he has been on a hunger strike since then in protest against his detention and 'unjust charges.' According to Mohammad Ghaemi, Mr. Meysami's lawyer, his hunger strike has now lasted over four months, during which he has been 'forced' to receive intravenous fluids, which has allowed him to survive until now. The charges against Farhad Meysami include 'collusion and assembly with the intent to disrupt national security,' 'propaganda against the regime,' and 'insulting hijab,' all primarily stemming from his support for the civil campaign against mandatory hijab. His lawyer emphasizes that Mr. Meysami has committed no crime and is merely a civil rights activist. The U.S. State Department also stated in its Twitter message that he and all 'the people of Iran deserve a government that respects their rights, not a government that subjects them to a slow death.' Mr. Meysami's demands for ending his hunger strike include the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist, and Reza Khandan, Ms. Sotoudeh's husband and a civil rights activist. Ms. Sotoudeh was arrested on June 12 and has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison based on a case that was issued in absentia on October 5, 2016. Mr. Khandan has also been in detention since September 4. Recently, five UN rapporteurs called for the release of women’s rights defenders in Iran, including these three figures. Nasrin Sotoudeh has also been on a hunger strike since December 26 in support of Farhad Meysami.