What is Going On in Milad Hospital? -- Ganji is there!

Iranian blogger, Maryam Kashani, Roozonline:

While by moving journalist prisoner Akbar Ganji to Milad Hospital in Tehran Tehran’s Prosecutor has turned the hospital into a fortress, and prevents anybody from even getting close to the area where he is being kept and treated, the misleading news that is disseminated by the Prosecutor only adds to the concerns for Ganji’s life. A hospital doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity said that any surgery on Ganji is dangerous while his wife openly expresses her fear for the surgery her husband is subjected to.

These concerns are intensified as differences within the judiciary about releasing or keeping Ganji in prison continue. Judiciary chief Shahrudi had been promoting the idea of releasing Ganji and also all the other political prisoners who had been imprisoned during Khatami’s presidency before he hands over the reigns of government to Ahmadinejad. Mohseni Ejeyi, another judicial official who is close to Saeed Mortezvi, the harsh prosecutor of Tehran Province, has opposed the release of any political prisoners and has in practice prevented such releases.

In an interview with Rooz, Akbar Ganji’s wife Massoumeh Shafii has again raised her concerns for the life of her imprisoned husband. She said: “Mortezavi insists on this surgery and that is exactly what we fear.” She adds that he had specifically been told not to tell his family about his surgery, which raises more concerns. According to her, Ganji had asked Mortezavi to return him to prison as he felt unsafe in the hospital environment. The reason for his request is that he faces more restrictions in the hospital because the place does not have the usual protections and medical needs also add to his limitations. While he has visitations rights for 3 days a week for 2 hours each time, others get far more under these circumstances where he needs the closeness of his family. The most alarming comments she made was that the guards did not allow her to see him yesterday and when they spoke on the phone at night, he sounded very week saying that he did not give the authorities permission to do surgery on him, requesting to be returned to Evin. He also said that he continues his hunger strike. Massoumeh revealed that she has asked Doctors Without Borders to visit Ganji and monitor his condition. These requests have been turned down by Judiciary officials. She has expressed her distrust of the current medical team that treats Ganji. According to her, Ganji is only 52 kilos now and is kept alive by injection which he has stopped as of last night.

Keyhan newspaper, which is the bastion of the hardline extremists, has published a story that suggests there may be some ideas in dealing with Ganji and making political use of it, some observers have said that murder and then blaming Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, may be a scenario that would not only take care of Ganji but also of Ebadi’s humanitarian and popular image.

The latest news is that while in the past it was said that to have surgery performed on Ganji, he would have to be prepared for it, a doctor who did not wish to be named has said that Mortezavi has instructed them to perform the operation as soon as possible. The medical team however has refrained from this on medical grounds adding that Ganji is not yet ready because he has been on a hunger strike for more 40 days. Putting him under anesthesia would mean death, they have added. Mortezavi on the other hand has threatened that if the medical team at Milad hospital refrains from performing surgery, he will get another team from a different hospital. It must be noted that Ganji’s kidney is reported already to have stopped functioning due to torture and his hunger strike.