The horrific letter of political prisoner Mehrdad Lohrasbi

Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi

Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoner

I, Mehrdad Lohrasbi, have been in prison for 6 years and 6 months, charged with fighting for the freedom of all people and protesting against the barbarous and despotic regime of the Mulllahs, that has brutally taken all rights away from the people and oppressed enlightened thinkers, freedom-fighters and activists of our country over the last 27 years years. I was arrested during the July 9th, 1999 student and people's uprising where Iranians took to the streets to denounce and condemn the totalitarian rule of the clerics, demanding a referendum and nationwide vote to chose the form of government that is in accordance to the will of the people in Iran, excluding the visibly corrupt and murderous rule of the tyrants of the Islamic Republic whose supporters do not even add up to the 20 percentile of the people of Iran. However, with all their bells and whistles of publicity and rhetoric the ruling clerics have managed to squelch that Democratic mandate. Therefore myself and many of my fellow activists, humanitarians and student leaders were arrested and maliciously sentenced to death; however due to international pressure from various human rights organizations and the overwhelming wave of public opinion that was on our side, our sentences were reduced to 15 years in prison.

At this moment however, I am extremely ill and suffer from everything from problems with my left knee, my lungs, gums and teeth (scurvy) and a tumor that has begun to rapidly gros in the left side of my cerebellum which I am told may be malignant and probably cancerous.

I have requested a medical furlough from the prison authorities and they have categorically refused to permit me to receive medical attention. If I die or am incapacitated within the next few months, it would be entirely due to the viciousness of the judiciary and especially the criminal attorney general Mortezavi who has always opposed to any furloughs for us prisoners of conscience who seek freedom and liberty for our people.

I dream of an Iran that is free of dictators where Iranians can live in peace and liberty

Yours Sincerely,

Mehrdad Lohrasbi - Rejaiishahr Prison, Karadj