Iranian prisoner of conscience and painter, Atena Farghadani, has been on a hunger strike, protesting her detention, since 9 February and is now critically ill. She has been held for her peaceful activities including a cartoon criticizing members of parliament. Atena Farghadani, a 28-year-old painter, started a “wet” hunger strike, (taking water but not food) on 9 February 2015 in protest at her continued detention in Gharchak Prison, in the city of Varamin, which does not have a section for political prisoners and where conditions of detention are extremely poor. On 25 February Atena Farghadani’s lawyer said that she had suffered a heart attack and had briefly lost consciousness as a result of her hunger strike. She has said that she will not end her hunger strike unless the authorities meet her request to transfer her to Tehran’s Evin Prison. On 26 February Atena Farghadani was taken to a hospital outside prison.
Atena Farghadani was first arrested on 23 August 2014 for her peaceful activities, including meeting with families of political prisoners, and for drawing a cartoon that criticized members of parliament for considering a bill that sought to criminalize voluntary sterilization as part of a larger plan to restrict access to contraception and family planning services. She was held in Section 2A of Evin Prison for almost two months, including 15 days in solitary confinement, without access to a lawyer or her family. She was released on 6 November 2014 on bail. On 10 January 2015 she was rearrested after she had been summoned to a Revolutionary Court, possibly in reprisal for a video message that she had published after her release, in which she explained how female prison guards had beaten her and subjected her to degrading body searches and other ill-treatment. According to her parents in media interviews, Atena Farghadani was subjected to beatings in the courtroom before being transferred to Gharchak Prison. Charges against her include “spreading propaganda against the system”, “insulting members of the parliament through paintings” and “insulting the Supreme Leader”.
Please write immediately in Persian, English, Arabic, French, Spanish or your own language:
n Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Atena Farghadani immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience who has been held solely for her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly;
n Urging them to allow her regular visits from her family and lawyer and ensure she is protected from torture and other ill-treatment and receives any medical care she may require;
n Reminding them that the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require that different categories of prisoners be kept in separate institutions or parts of institutions.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 10 APRIL 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: (via website) http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/
Twitter: @khamenei_ir (English), @Khamenei_ar (Arabic), @Khamenei_es (Spanish).
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
President of the Islamic republic of Iran
Hassan Rouhani
The Presidency
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Twitter:@HassanRouhani (English), @Rouhani_ir (Persian)
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
