Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 14, 2022: Political prisoners, Sadegh Omidi, Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani, Mahmoud Ali Naghi, Peyman Pourdad, Ali Asghar Hassanirad, and Mehdi Darini are on a dry hunger strike in Ward 8 of Evin Prison in protest to “the role of prison officials in Baktash Abtin’s death.”
According to Iran Human Rights, six political inmates in Evin Prison’s Ward 8 went on a dry hunger strike on January 12 in protest of “prison officials’ culpability in Baktash Abtin’s execution.”
“We, the political prisoners in Ward 8 of Evin Prison, in response to Baktash Abtin’s death and the blatant role of prison officials, the judiciary, and the Prison Organization, and given that we have not received any response to our demands after a five-day sit-in, will be going on a dry hunger strike from 12 January 2022 until our demands are met: for the aforementioned to accept responsibility and apologize in official national press,” read the letter from Evin
When Baktash Abtin was detained while attending a memorial service for political dissidents killed in the chain killings, he was a filmmaker, poet, and member of the Iranian Writers Association.
Baktash Abtin contracted COVID-19 for the second time in early December 2021, while serving his six-year sentence in Evin Prison. Baktash was placed on medical leave and transferred to a hospital on December 13th.
According to the Iranian Writers’ Association, Baktash was placed in a medically induced coma on January 1 after his health “further deteriorated.”
According to a statement made four days later, Baktash’s physical condition had deteriorated to a “severely worrying” level due to a lack of rapid access to medical care and a delay in being taken to the hospital by prison officials.
Baktash Abtin died on January 8, 2022, according to the IWA. His assassination has sparked indignation and criticism from both international and domestic civil society and organizations.
We, the political prisoners in Ward 8 of Evin Prison, following Baktash Abtin’s death and
the blatant role of prison officials, the judiciary, the Prison Organisation, and given that we
have not received any response to our demands after a five-day sit-in.
Names:
Sadegh Omidi, Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani, Mahmoud Ali Naghi, Peyman Pourdad, Ali Asghar Hassanirad and Mehdi Darini.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook) and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube
