Iran: Faimlies of Political Prisoners Continue Protests

Adnkronos International:

Iranian police have manhandled the wife and brother of jailed journalist and dissident, Akbar Ganji, during the ninth straight day of protest by family members of political prisoners in front of the notorious Evin prison in the Iranian capital of Tehran. Despite having the written permission to meet with her husband, Ganji's wife, Massoumeh Shafii was not allowed to enter the prison on Thursday. READ MORE

Ganji and other political prisoners, such as lawyer Naseer Zarafshan have been on hunger strike for a number of days. Zarafshan's wife, Homa, who met her husband for a few minutes at the exit of the prison, told journalists that the prisoners intend to continue with the hunger strike until their demands have been met. The political prisoners are asking for the end of their solitary confinement and the possibility to receive medical attention and to meet their lawyers and their family members.

According to human rights groups, Ganji, who uncovered the involvement of government officials in the murder of intellectuals and journalists in the 1990s, was jailed in April 2000 and charged with "acting against national security." He has already served 62 months in prison and is currently being held in solitary confinement. He also suffers from acute asthma and although he was briefly released for medical care on May 30, he was reimprisoned in June 10 before he could obtain treatment.

As for Zarafshan, a lawyer who represented families of intellectuals and journalists allegedly murdered by the intelligence ministry agents in 1998, human rights groups say he was sentenced to five years in prison for "dissemination of confidential information". He suffers from kidney disease and needs immediate medical attention. He too is on a hunger strike in the prison.

"The person in charge of the prison told me that the my permit for a weekly visit with my husband was not valid anymore, as long as Akbar is kept in solitary confinement and he cannot see anyone not even his lawyer," Ganji's wife, Massoumeh Shafii told Adnkronos International (AKI).

“Together with my brother-in-law and ten other people we stood in front of the prison as we have done for nine days, for the solidarity with the political prisoners taking part in the hunger strike," said Shafii.

“At some point some policemen arrived with clubs in their hands and started to hit without any reason," said Shafii who also said that she had a swollen arm.

On Wednesday, the police had also dispersed the group of protestors in front of the Evin prison. One of them, Shahla Entesari, had to be treated for the blows that she received.

Four international human rights organisations recently signed a joint declaration with the Nobel Peace Prize winner, lawyer Shirin Ebadi, asking for the release of all the political prisoners in Iran. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights and Reporters without Borders have together denounced the inhuman conditions that the prisoners are forced to endure in the prisons in Iran and have condemned the decision by the Iranian authorities not to allow the prisoners access to medical care.