Hunger strike at Uremia Prison is still going on
2-December-2014
Category: ethnic minorities
Breathing in Confinement – The hunger strike at Central Prison of Uremia is still continuing after 10 days.
According to the report of “Breathing in Confinement”, 29 political prisoners of ward 12 of the Central Prison of Uremiahave gone on Hunger strike from 20th November in protest at the “dissolve of political prisoners’ ward” and also against the “pressures from the Ministry of Intelligence on prisoners and their families”.
One of the prisoners of Uremia prison in an interview with “Breathing in Confinement” said; “The central prison of Uremia originally has had political prisoners’ ward and political prisoners, always, were kept in this ward. However, from December 2012, with and order by the Ministry of Intelligence, prisoners with charges of murder and drug-related crimes were transferred to this ward and gradually, some political prisoners and also, newly arrived political prisoners were transferred to other wards.”
He continued; “In several occasions we talked to prison officials in this regard and every time they made an excuse of lack of place in other wards and promised that in near future, they will transfer other prisoners from political prisoners’ ward, but they never kept they promises.”
This source also added; “So far we have had twice hunger strike and each time we stopped it with the officials’ promises. However, every time the pressure on prisoners has increased. So that now if two prisoners speak with each other, the Intelligence Office will summon and subject them to an Inquisition.”
The tenth day of hunger strike ended while on the ninth day, prison officers took Mansoor Arvand, political prisoner who has been convicted to execution, out of the ward with pretence of having visitors and then transferred him to Mahabad prison.
At the same day, prison guards were stationed at the door of the ward to take Mohammed Abdullahi, other political prisoner who has been convicted to execution, to the ward of murder defendants which faced prisoners’ resistance and ultimately they were forced to retreat.
On the other hand, Amir Moladost, one of the political prisoners on hunger strike, surprisingly was sent to leave and also, Jafar Afshari, other political prisoner, was transferred to workshop ward which is the ward of prisoners with drug related charges.
Meanwhile, according to the reports, Alireza Rasooli, who is on his twentieth day of hunger strike, is in a critical physical condition.
Since 10th November, in protest against prison officials’ ignorance towards his illness, he has gone on hunger strike. Doctors told him that he has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, but to confirm it, they need to conduct special tests and examinations.
Also, Muhammad Abdolbakht, 65 years old prisoner, due to senility, is in a difficult condition.
The full list of the prisoners and their sentences is being released by “Breathing in Confinement” as following:
Ali Afshari (execution), Jafar Afshari (5 years), Vali Afshari (5 years), Habib Afshari (execution), Mansoor Arvand (execution), Keihan Dervishi (3 years), Shirkoo Hassanpour (5 years), Mohamad Abdullahi (Execution ), Khazar Rasoolirad (5 years), Saman Nasim (execution), Amir Moladost (4 years), Sirwan Nazhavi (execution), Jafar Mirzaee (6 months), Abraham Rezapour (execution), Mohammad Abdolbakht (2 years), Abdullah Asghari, Arafat Asghari (6 months), Ali Ahmad Soleiman (execution), Seyed Sami Hosseini (execution), Abdullah Hamoudi (undecided), Ahmad Tamoei (15 years), Osman Mostafapour (34 years), Behrooz Alkhani (execution), Mostafa Ali Ahmad (11 years), Yousef Kakehmamy (9 years), Seyed Jamal Mohammadi (execution), Alireza Rasooli (3 years), Shooresh Afshari (5 years), Mostafa Davoodi (10 years)