On 1 November 2013, prominent human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani (a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre – DHRC) and three other political prisoners started a hunger strike in Evin prison in protest against the authorities\u2019 denial of adequate medical care to dozens of sick prisoners in the prison. Two days later, about 80 prisoners also started a 3-day strike in Rajaishahr prison, near the city of Karaj, west of Tehran.
\nThe four initial striking prisoners warned against the \u201cgradual trend of demise of prisoners, in particular political prisoners,\u201d that \u201chas begun long ago\u201d and denounced:<\/p>\n
the lack of specialist doctors within prison;
\nrefusal of the authorities to send political prisoners to outside medical facilities without handcuffs, shackles and prison uniform;
\ninterference of security and intelligence organisations in decisions concerning despatch of prisoners to outside medical centres;
\nrefusal of the authorities to provide for costly treatment and medicines for prisoners suffering from refractory diseases.<\/p>\n
Prisoners in Rajaishahr prison are protesting against the installation of electronic jamming antennas in the prison, which have caused severe headaches and nausea among prisoners.<\/p>\n
There are around 30 sick prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin prison alone and a number of others in Rajaishar prison as well as in other prisons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAuthorities seem to be seeking revenge against prisoners of conscience for exercising their rights. In addition to suffering torture during pre-trial detention and harsh sentences after extremely unfair trials, they are denied access to adequate medical treatment\u201d , said Karim Lahidji, FIDH president.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than two dozen prisoners of conscience have died as a result of extensive neglect under highly dubious conditions in Iranian prisons in the past few years, including Messrs Hoda Saber, Afshin Ossanlu, Mohsen Dogmechi and Alborz Qassemi\u201d , said Shirin Ebadi, DHRC President and 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, \u201cThe Iranian authorities are silently preparing the death of prisoners of conscience\u201d , she added.<\/p>\n
FIDH, and its two member organisations, DHRC and LDDHI, urge the international community to express their concern for the plight of political prisoners in Iran in particular by voting for a UN resolution, bound to reflect the gross violations of human rights in the country within the next few weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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