Where is imprisoned Akbar Ganji?

Roozonline:

In a letter to Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, the wife of imprisoned Akbar Ganji who is also on a hunger strike, has asked for help for the health and well being of her husband.

The text of the letters reveals that prison authorities in Tehran claim that they have a letter in their hands in which Ganji announces his decision to end his hunger strike. She says that such news creates more concern because as everyone knows, Ganji is kept in solitary confinement, away from other prisoners. Thus casting doubt on the authenticity of such a letter. Furthermore, Ganji had said that he would only break his hunger strike in front of journalists. READ MORE

In a related news, Tehran’s harsh prosecutor had banned the publication of any news relating to Akbar Ganji and threatened to close any publication that violated the order. The prosecutor’s latest charges against Ganji have been efforts to “incite the public”. But despite this, a press conference was held by the family members and lawyers representing and defending Ganji. The conference was coolly received by the press but in it Shirin Ebadi did express her concern one more time for Ganji’s health, his need for medical treatment as he suffers from acute asthma, his solitary confinement and the denial to visit him.

What makes Ganji’s situation alarming is that a hardline president has just been voted into office. His background and the support he receives from the official security apparatus, are events that add fuel to the fire and make it easier for the prison officials to apply as much pressure on Ganji as they can, without any pressure or concern from humanitarian groups. When Ahmadinejad was recently asked abut the serial killings that took place a few years ago and what his position on it was, he simply said that the president under whose watch these things were happening should be asked that question.

While no family member or defense lawyer has been allowed to see Ganji, a prison official has announced that Ganji can have visitations. This is not the first time that announcements do not match reality in this case. In fact such reports become alarming. Masoomeh Shafii, Ganji’s wife, points out that while prison officials deny that her husband is in solitary confinement and that he is banned from having visitations, a prison official had told her that a hunger strike is a violation of the prison code, which bears a punishment for the violator. It should be noted that Salar Kia, a deputy prosecutor had told journalists the same thing earlier, i.e. that hunger strike bears a punishment and that both Ganji and Nasser Zarafshan, another attorney prisoner, have been barred from visitations and subjected to solitary confinement.

Ganji’s attorney Yusef Molayi was the last person to visit Ganji a few weeks ago, after which he said that Ganji looked thin and very tired. It should be noted that when the family members of Ganji and Zarafshan had gathered outside the prison in protest to the treatment of the prisoners, they were beaten up and forcefully dispersed by prison police.