Reporters Without Borders ‘very worried’ about female political prisoners on hunger strike

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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‘Khamenei responsible for safety of inmates’

Reporters Without Borders says it is “very worried” about the health of eight female political prisoners currently on hunger strike in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison.

The Paris-based media watchdog said Iranian officials, in particular Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, would be held responsible for the well-being and safety of the women.

The group stressed that the “women are not just serving long jail terms but are now also being subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment in flagrant violation of national and international laws.” It called on the international community to speak out about the “many atrocities” in the country’s prisons.

Reporters Without Borders also urged the inmates to stop their hunger strike out of fears for their safety.

The eight prisoners of conscience on strike are: Bahareh Hedayat, Jila Baniyaghoub, Mahsa Amrabadi, Hakimeh Shokri, Shiva Nazarahari, Jila Karamzadeh Makvandi, Nazanin Deyhami and Nasim Soltan-Beigi.

The women began their hunger strike to protest the prison guards’ raiding of the women’s wing of Evin Prison, which was followed by a degrading and humiliating mistreatment of the inmates for hours.

The maltreatment came just days after a joint statement was issued by Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi and six human rights organisations on the appalling situation of women detainees at Evin.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, jailed human rights lawyer and recipient of this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, has also been on hunger since 17 October to protest her 12-year-old daughter’s travel ban and summons to court, as well as various forms of restrictions on visitations in the past year.

Ahmad Shaheed, the United Nation’s special rapporteur on human rights in Iran has called on Iranian officials to consider her release.

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