In Iran, dozens of inmates at Evin prison spent the day without eating. A hunger strike also observed by opponents of the regime in exile, to protest against the recent wave of executions and the increase in human rights violations in the country.
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They are 61 political prisoners of the infamous Evin prison to have launched this protest movement in Iran. In the lead, the Nobel Peace Prize 2023, Narges Mohammadi, herself detained in the prison for 25 years. In a statement released by his family on Instagramthe human rights lawyer announces resistance alongside her fellow detainees to “ keep alive the names of those executed, and spare the lives of hundreds of people awaiting execution in the Islamic Republic of Iran “.
61 women political-prisoners in Evin, in protest against executions and to stop executions, are going on a hunger strike.
on Tuesday Iran witnessed the hanging of its youth. #MohammadGhobadlou was hung under circumstances where even a final verdict for execution did not exist pic.twitter.com/86VSxCEUU6— Narges Mohamadi (@freenargesmhmd) January 24, 2024
Some political prisoners have announced to join the initiative, as well as opponents in exile. THE rapper Toomaj Salehiarrested again last November, less than two weeks after being released after more than a year in prison for his support for the 2022 protest movement, indicated on social networks that he would join the strike of the hunger.
Other Iranian personalities having been imprisoned because of the demonstrations initiated after the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 also announced their participation in this hunger strike action, notably the singer Mehdi Yarrahi and the activist Hossein Ronaghi.
A collective of 37 women imprisoned in Evin prison in the past also published on the account of Narges Mohammadi an open letter in solidarity with imprisoned women. “ Having been in their place in the past and struggling like them, we are aware of what this act could cost them. “, says the letter. “ We will be their voice for the world to hear their message and end the death penalty in Iran. »
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“ A blatant injustice »
On Tuesday January 23, the world learned with horror of the hanging of the ninth demonstrator, Mohammad Ghobadlou, 23, convicted and imprisoned for the murder of a police officer during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement demonstrations. Authorities say the slain police officer was run over by a car during a protest. The young man, who suffered from a mental disability, had been deprived of his treatment in detention, according to the NGO Amnesty International. His hanging had been postponed several times thanks to national and international mobilization. But on Tuesday morning, the family learned of the confirmation of his execution just hours before it took place.
“ The execution in Iran of Mohammad Ghobadlou, who suffered from mental problems, is a flagrant injustice, a murder committed under the pretext of a judicial procedure devoid of any impartiality “, denounced Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in New York. According to Iran Human Rights, since the start of 2024, already 54 people have been executed in the country.
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