Come Visit Ganji

Roozonline:

Masoumeh Shafiee, Akbar Ganji's wife, is going through the most difficult times yet, "The last five and half years have not been as difficult as the last few weeks in the hospital. Ganji can barely keep his eyes open yet on the hospital bed they continue to taunt and torture him.

They tell him he'll be thrown into a dungeon where no one will know who or where he is. They want to kill him. Please help us."

Ms. Shafiee had just returned from the hospital when we spoke. Today's news is worse than before, "they kept us waiting for a full hour for a very short visit. The doctors told me Mr. Ganji had refused an IV and could barely open his eyes.

I planned to convince him to allow the staff to administer an IV for the sake of our children and his family. READ MORE

We had just begun speaking when a guard entered the room. I said this was a private family visit but he refused to leave stating he was on official orders to remain present. I asked to speak to his superiors and was told they are indisposed.

Ganji got angry and in his weakened state asked me to leave.

I asked them to return him to Evin prison since at least we were able to have private visits and occasional visits from his lawyer there."

Ms. Shafiee goes on to explain "they have moved Ganji to another floor where he is the only patient and the rest of the floor is occupied by security forces. I would have convinced him to allow IV feeding but they didn't let me. They videotaped everything, Ganji's outburst, my crying and pleading. In the end they threw me out.

Why should people be treated this way, for writing a couple of articles? They are implementing the scenario that was written up in Keyhan newspaper a few days ago."

Her weary voice now takes on a more resentful tone, "Why don't officials like Mr. Shahroudi go see Ganji themselves. Isn't visiting the sick a religious duty? Denying someone their rights has become mandatory but visiting the ill is no longer a virtue? Why is Mr. Mortazavi now equal with the whole of government? If you cannot carry out the laws, either change them or step aside. Your power and legitimacy comes from the people…I thank God for giving me the strength of a rock."

The voice of the rock however breaks. We wish Mr. Shahroudi, Khatami and others would visit this patient. Perhaps the story would have a different ending.