Breathing in Confinement

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Transfer of the political prisoner, Abdolrasoul Mortazavi from Rajaei Shahr prison to an unknown location; In a protesting attempt, his fellow prisoners covered the ward’s CC cameras 

21-April-2021

Category: Uncategorized

21-April-2021
Newsgroup: Prisoners –

Breathing in Confinement: Yesterday, April 20, 2021, the political prisoner Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, imprisoned in Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj, was transferred to an unknown location, under the pretext of receiving his prosthetic leg. His transfer sparked protests by the other political prisoners, who reacted by covering CCTV cameras in the hall.

According “Breathing in Confinement”, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, yesterday, April 20, 2021, Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, a political prisoner imprisoned in Rajaei Shahr prison, was deceptively taken out of ward by prison officials and transferred to an unknown location .

“On Tuesday, April 20, Mr. Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, who had his leg amputated as a result of wartime injuries, and had to use a prosthetic leg, was summoned to the ward office on the pretext of receiving a leg prosthesis,” said an informed source. “After he was taken out of the ward, the prison officials asked his fellow inmates to collect and hand over all of Mr. Mortazavi’s belongings. Doing so by the prison authorities, provoked the reaction of other political prisoners who in protest, covered the cameras in the hall, ” the source continued.

“In the presence of prison officials, the political prisoners chanted slogans against the authorities of the Islamic Republic,” the source added.

“Since having been injured during Iran-Iraq war, Mr. Mortazavi has been using a prosthetic leg. However, during his transfer to the prison, and as a result of using force by the agents, the gelatinous part of his prosthetic leg broke and the prison staff did not take any action to repair it. He therefore, had difficulty moving without it and always needed someone to assist him to walk,”  the source said.

It should be noted that Abdolrasoul Mortazavi is one of the signatories of the statement known as 14 signatures, whose signatories demanded the resignation of Ali Khamenei. He was later sentenced to 26 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad. According to the law, 11 years of imprisonment as the most severe punishment is applicable to him.

On November 7, 2020, in relation to another cases, Mr. Mortazavi was summoned to Branch 4 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Mehdi Khodabakhshi, and was notified of the charges of “propaganda activities against the regime as well as insulting the Supreme Leader” for signing a statement known as “countdown for the release of political prisoners.”

In addition, Mr. Mortazavi was charged on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, with a new case recently opened against him.

The  war-wounded Mr. Mortazavi, was deported from Evin Prison to Rajaie Shahr Prison in Karaj in the late March this year, however, he was not given a prosthetic leg since his transfer.

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Prisoners