Iranian prisoner of conscience, seriously ill after years of medical neglect, leading to kidney surgery

An Iranian prisoner of conscience is critically ill following kidney surgery.

Omid Kokabee, an experimental laser physicist at the University of Texas, had his right kidney removed on 22 April; he was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer after years of medical neglect.

According to Amnesty International, Mr Kokabee will need specialised post-op care and cancer treatment in a hospital; returning to prison will put his life in jeopardy.

He was arrested in 2011, whilst visiting family in Iran. He was accused of colluding with a hostile government (USA) and threatening national security. Mr Kokabee denied these charges but was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

There is a campaign to free him: http://freeomid.org

Full text of Amnesty International’s 17 May 2016 Urgent Action on the case of Omid Kokabee.