Tag: medical negligence

Afkari Brothers Denied Medical Care Amidst Ongoing Torture in Adelabad Prison

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Adelabad, Adelabad Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Habib Afkari, medical neglect, medical negligence, prison guard violence, Shiraz, Unlawful detainment, Unlawful detention, unlawful summons, Vahid Afkari, Vahid and Habib Afkari

Political prisoners Vahid and Habib Afkari have been denied medical care during their 9 month detention in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. During this time, they have been repeatedly beaten and tortured by prison officials attempting to force confessions related to their role in the 2018 nationwide protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the brothers are being held in the Ebrat ward, also known as the “closed ward” of the prison.

The inmates and their family repeatedly requested to be transferred to a political prison, but despite the prosecutor’s promise, authorities have thwarted all efforts to make the move happen. Saeed Afkari has commented on the condition of his imprisoned brothers.

“According to medical jurisprudence, my brother Habib suffered a broken toe, a non-welded wrist fracture, and a torn shoulder during his detention,” Saeed said. “My other brother Vahid suffered neck and arm injuries as a result of a suicide attempt in protest of physical and mental torture. They have been in solitary confinement for 279 days and have not been allowed treatment.”

In mid-September 2020, the two political prisoners were transferred to the Ebrat ward (closed ward), a detention center for prisoners deprived of phone contact. After nearly nine months, they are still being held in this ward of Adelabad prison in Shiraz.

Based on prison regulations and laws, definitive convicts should only be held in public wards under the supervision of the Prisoners’ Organization. According to the same by-laws, keeping the accused in detention should be permitted only with a written order from the judicial authorities. Thus, keeping Habib and Vahid Afkari outside the public ward of the prison without a written order is against the law.

Navid Afkari, Vahid Afkari, and Habib Afkari were arrested in connection with the nationwide protests in 2018.

Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler, was executed at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz in September 2020 despite serious ambiguities in the case and a worldwide wave of support for him. Vahid Afkari was sentenced to 54 years and 6 months in prison and 74 lashes, Habib Afkari to 27 years and 3 months in prison and 74 lashes.

 

 

Abbas Lesani Denied Medical Attention in Ardabil Prison

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Ethnic Minorities, Prisoners
Abbas Lesani, Ardabil, ardabil prison, Azerbaijani Turk activist, East Azerbaijan province, Lesani, medical neglect, medical negligence

Azerbaijani Turk activist Abbas Lesani has been denied transfer to a hospital outside Ardabil prison, despite  numerous serious medical ailments.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Lesani suffers from high blood pressure, lumbar disc, and heart problems.
According to an informed source, Mr. Lesani had a dangerously-high blood pressure of 190 on June 9, and despite the doctors’ order to send him to the hospital, he remained ignored by prison authorities.
Lesani was previously sentenced by the Ardabil Revolutionary Court to eight years in prison and two years in exile. The sentence was increased to 15 years in prison and 2 years in exile on charges of “forming a group with the intention of disrupting the country’s security” by the Court of Appeals. Under Article 134, a maximum sentence of 10 years is enforceable.
In another case, Branch 26 of the East Azarbaijan Court of Appeals sentenced him to 10 months in prison on charges of “propaganda activities against the regime and in favor of opposition groups”.
Abbas Lesani has a history of arrests and numerous convictions for his activist work.

Political Prisoner Sasan Niknafs buried after Death in Greater Tehran Prison

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, medical neglect, medical negligence, Medical treatment, Niknafs, Political Prisoner, Sasan Niknafs, Tehran

The body of Sasan Niknafs, a political prisoner who died in Greater Tehran Prison on Monday, was buried.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Tehran Prisons Organization claims that the place of death was Firoozabadi Hospital in Tehran. However, an informed source stated that in reality, Niknafs’ body was taken to a hospital outside the prison after his death.

Sasan Niknafs was suffering from myriad mental and physical health problems, such as diabetes, fatty liver, gastritis, high blood pressure, and severe depression. By most definitions, Niknafs was unfit to serve time in prison, but his mother’s efforts to obtain a certificate of intolerance were unsuccessful until after his death. Moreover, despite the clear urgency of his condition, Prison officials significantly delayed sending Niknafs to a properly-equipped hospital outside the prison. He died on June 7.

 

Death of Sasan Niknafs Confirmed by General Directorate of Prisons in Tehran Province

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Prisoners
Behnam Mahjubi, Firoozabadi, Firoozabadi Hospital, Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, medical neglect, medical negligence, Medical treatment, Niknafs, Sasan Niknafs, Tehran General Directorate of Prisons, Tehran prison conditions

On Monday, June 7, the General Directorate of Prisons of Tehran Province finally confirmed the death of political prisoner Sasan Niknafs in Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Tehran Prisons Organization claims that the place of death was Firoozabadi Hospital in Tehran. However, an informed source stated that in reality, Niknafs’ body was taken to a hospital outside the prison after his death.

The political prisoner was suffering from myriad mental and physical health problems, such as diabetes, fatty liver, gastritis, high blood pressure, and severe depression. The Prisons Organization confirmed in its June 7 report that Niknafs had once attempted suicide.

By most definitions, Niknafs was unfit to serve time in prison, but his mother’s efforts to obtain a certificate of intolerance were unsuccessful until after his death. Moreover, despite the clear urgency of his condition, Prison officials significantly delayed sending Niknafs to a properly-equipped hospital outside the prison.

In the last two days, several political prisoners in the Greater Tehran Prison have been interrogated regarding Niknafs’ drug use. A statement issued by the Tehran General Directorate of Prisons says that drug use was the cause of Niknafs’ deteriorating condition, without mentioning the forensic report.

According to an informed source, prison officials are attempting to make the case that self-medicating was the cause of Niknafs’ death as they did for Behnam Mahjubi, a prisoner who died earlier this year under similarly mysterious conditions after being denied proper medical treatment.

In February, prison authorities declared that Sufi dervish activist Behnam Mahjubi died after what they say was poisoning due to self-medicating and medication consumption, despite evidence from forensic reports to the contrary. According to the forensic medical order, Niknafs needed to be under medical monitoring. Instead, the extent of his treatment was a prescription of 2 Largactil tablets (chlorpromazine hydrochloride) and 1 Clonazepam, daily, by the prison health center.

Reckless behavior among Greater Tehran Prison officials, especially regarding political prisoners, has long been a burden on the mental and physical health and safety of inmates. The news of Sasan Niknafs’ death due to the negligence of prison officials has once again raised concerns about other political prisoners being held in Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

 

 

Khaled Pirzadeh on Day 9 of Hunger Strike in Greater Tehran Prison

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, Hunger Strike, Khaled Pirzadeh, medical negligence, Mohammad Moghiseh, Pirzadeh, Pirzadeh hunger strike, Tehran

Khaled Pirzadeh has been on a hunger strike since May 31 in the Greater Tehran Prison.  This demonstration, Pirzadeh’s second hunger strike of the year,  is in response to prison officials’ denial of visitations and leave in the 25 months since his imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pirzadeh has suffered from low blood pressure, digestive problems, and severe pain in his muscles, joints, and eyes as a result of the hunger strike.

Earlier this year, Pirzadeh went on a hunger strike following the failure of authorities to fulfill their promise to agree to parole. Pirzadeh ended his hunger strike in March after authorities promised that his demands would be met, but they did not follow through.

In May of 2019, the political prisoner was sentenced by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, to 5 years in prison, and an additional 2 years for “insulting the leadership”.  According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, of the 7 total years, 5 can be enforced on Pirzadeh on the charge of “conspiracy and collusion”.

Khaled Pirzadeh underwent foot surgery in August 2020. His legs and spine were severely damaged during detention and required further surgery and physiotherapy. He was also barred from being hospitalized in December 2020 despite having a heart problem.

Prison officials have now asked Pirzadeh to end his strike and promised to address Mr. Pirzadeh’s demands, as before. Whether Pirzadeh accepts their offer given the dubious precedent they have set remains to be seen.

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Reports Indicate the Death of Sasan Niknafs in Prison; The Family is Worried and Waiting for Prison Officials to Respond

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, medical negligence, Niknafs, Political Prisoner, Political prisoner killed, Sasan Niknafs, Tehran

As of Monday, June 7, reports indicate that political prisoner Sasan Niknafs has died in the Greater Tehran Prison due to medical negligence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, prison officials significantly delayed sending Mr. Niknafs to a properly-equipped hospital outside the prison, despite the clear urgency of his condition.

Niknafs has long suffered from diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver, gastritis, high blood pressure, and psychological problems.

The political prisoner was finally transferred to the prison’s health center two days ago where he reportedly died.

Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced Niknafs to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy against the country’s security, propaganda against the regime, and insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leadership. 5 years of imprisonment applied to him after applying article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

36-year-old Niknafs, father of two girls aged 8 and 9, endured eleven months of incarceration in poor physical and psychological condition. According to his lawyer, during a recent meeting, the effects of self-harm were visible on his hands.

Prison authorities have not officially announced the news of his death at the time of this writing despite repeated inquiries from his family and lawyer.

 

 

Detained Citizen Dies in Buchan Prison After Prison Officials Refuse to Send Him to Hospital

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Prisoners
Karimi, Lack of medical care in prison, medical negligence, Nasser Karimi, prison conditions in iran

Nasser Karimi, a citizen detained in Buchan city, died due to medical negligence on June 1 after being transferred to the city prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Nasser Karimi was the son of Qader and a resident of Nowbar village in Buchan County of West Azerbaijan Province.

He was arrested on May 1 by the police of Criminal Investigation on financial charges.

The report quoted an informed source saying that “Mr. Karimi was in critical condition after being transferred to Buchan Prison, but prison officials refused to send him to a health center or hospital outside the prison.”

The source added, “Buchanan prison officials said the cause of death was cardiac arrest and that the body was transferred to Urmia forensic medicine for autopsy.”

Karimi’s body has not been delivered to his family yet.

 

UN Experts Express Concern Over the Health Condition of Mohammad Nourizad in Evin Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Evin Prison, medical neglect, medical negligence, Mohammad Nourizad, Nourizad, Political Prisoner, United Nations

On Tuesday, May 4th, UN experts issued a statement expressing concern over the health condition of civil activist Mohammad Nourizad and calling for his immediate release from Evin Prison. Javid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Niels Melzer, Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and several other UN experts stated that Mr. Nourizad has been in critical condition for some time, and continued deprivation of treatment could prove fatal.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, UN experts have stated that Mr. Nourizad’s case is “emblematic of the situation many Iranian political activists face in detention” , citing the transfer of Mr. Nourizad to Loghman Hospital in Tehran, on April 14, 2021, after fainting. The statement reveals that once revived, Mr. Nourizad “found someone injecting him with an unknown substance, that he did not consent to or was informed of”. Nourizad was denied information about the substance or its purpose from officials, despite his explicit requests.

66-year-old Nourizad is an Iranian director, screenwriter, journalist, and activist. Nourizad became an outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic a decade ago, and has since been arrested and imprisoned several times for his civic work and visits to families of political prisoners.

In mid-August 2019, 14 activists, including Nourizad, signed a letter calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei. Several signatories were arrested, and others were pressured after the letter went public. Mr. Nourizad was arrested by security forces on August 11, 2019, along with several union and civil activists and sent to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad (he was later transferred to Evin Prison, where he currently resides).

In the first part of his case, Mr. Nourizad was charged by Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad, presided by Judge Mansouri, on charges such as “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, insulting sacred values, insulting the leadership, disturbing public opinion, cooperating with foreign media, and participating in illegal gatherings”, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 3 years of exile to Izeh, and a 3-year ban from leaving the country. Branch 35 of the Appeals Court in Razavi Khorasan Province revised the verdict to 15 years in prison, 2 years of exile to Izeh, and a 2-year ban on leaving the country.

In August 2020, in the second part of his case, he was sentenced by Branch 2 of the Mashhad Criminal Court to 8 months imprisonment, 74 lashes, and exile to Tabas on the charge of “disturbing public order” for appearing in front of the building where Kamal Jafari Yazdi was appearing; and sentenced to another 74 lashes on a charge of “spreading lies”. This verdict was confirmed by the Court of Appeal of Khorasan Razavi Province.

In May of this year, Mr. Nourizad announced that he has been sentenced to another year in prison on a charge of defending the rights of Baha’i citizens living in Ivanki, prompting this public concern. Mohammad Nourizad suffers from myriad underlying conditions, including asthma, heart problems, and high blood pressure. The forensic medicine organization previously ordered his release for medical reasons. According to these UN experts, considering Nourizad’s critical health condition and overwhelming consensus from professionals,  he cannot stay in prison.

Civil Activist Saba Kord Afshari on Hunger Strike in Qarchak Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners, Women
civil activist, medical negligence, Saba Kord-Afshari, women's rights in iran, Women's Ward of Evin Prison

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, civil activist Saba Kord Afshari went on a hunger strike on Saturday, May 8th.

22-year-old Kord Afshari, currently imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, went on said strike to protest the increasing pressure on her family and other political prisoners in the aftermath of her public criticism of the compulsory hijab.

Kord Afshari demands the release of her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi, who was sent to Evin Prison for giving information about her daughter’s [Saba’s] living conditions in Qarchak.

While in Evin Prison, Raheleh Ahmadi developed a ruptured disc which relegated her to a walker, likely due to chronic stress after her daughter’s imprisonment. Ahmadi was granted medical leave on bail on March 14th, but was denied by prison authorities the two-month recovery period recommended for her surgery.

On April 3, 2021, Saba Kord Afshari was granted a short-term leave on a bail and returned to prison on April 10. On that same day, Ahmadi was returned to Evin Prison.

Kord Afshari’s embroilment in the penal system has been ongoing . In February 2019,  the young activist was released from the women’s ward of Evin Prison from her previous conviction. In June 2019, she was again detained by security forces and was later transferred to prison after interrogations.

In August 2019, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Saba to 15 years imprisonment on the charge of “spreading depravity by uncovering a hijab and walking without a hijab”; 1 year and 6 months in prison on the charge of “Propaganda against the regime;” and 7 years and 6 months in prison for “Gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country”– a total of 24 years in prison along with other social deprivations.

Due to the multiplicity of offenses and previous criminal record, each of the charged sentences were cumulative, of which 15 years in prison was enforceable.

With a correction of judicial misconduct that had caused two and half times to increase in the sentences, and with punishment reduction law, 7 years and 6 months imprisonment will be enforceable.

Saba Kord Afshari has suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding several times before. This, along with the hunger strike has raised concerns about her health among her family members.