Six prisoners facing national-security-related charges, Rahman Parhazoo, Aran Omri, Amir Moshtagh Gangachin, Fakhreddin Doodkanloo, Milan and Ashkan Othmanzadeh, went on hunger strike against received death penalties and long sentences in Urmia Prison.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on March 14, 2023, six prisoners of Urmia Prison went on hunger strike.
An informed source told HRANA, “they went on hunger strike to protest against the received sentences. Last month, Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Aran Omri and Rahman Parhazoo to death on the charge of spying for Israel. Amir Moshtagh Gangachin, Fakhreddin Doodkanloo, Milan and Ashkan Othmanzadeh received ten years for the same charge.”
In October-November 2021, security forces arrested these individuals accused of espionage. On March 11, 2021, they were jailed in Urmia Prison.
In May 2022, media outlets published a video of a man, allegedly an IRGC member interrogated by Israeli forces inside Iran, confessing that he was potting to hit on Israel. Later, this man called himself Mansour Rasouli denied his confession, claiming he is just a farmer who was abducted and forced to state these false statements.
Three weeks later, IRGC announced the arrest of several people who were working for Israel and kidnapping people to force them to extract false confessions.
On May 22, 2022, IRGC announced that the members of a network spying for Israel have been apprehended.
