ABC blog

Iranian authorities have released no information the whereabouts of Ramin Hossein Panahi, a Kurdish political prisoner transferred to Raja’i Shahr Prison, causing great concern for his family and friends.

An informed source reported to Abdorrahman Boroumand Center that Hossein Panahi had announced a hunger strike and sewn shut his lips on the afternoon of August 26. Hossein Panahi stated he was undertaking the hunger strike over judiciary officials’ failure to consider his request for retrial as well as prison officials’ failure to segregate political prisoners from ordinary ones. Hossein Panahi was transferred from Sanandaj Prison to Ward 10, Hall 31 of the Raja’i Shahr Facility, where those jailed for such crimes as murder and drug trafficking are held.

According to information obtained by Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, Hossein Panahi was transferred in shackles to a location which was neither the prison quarantine nor solitary confinement at the order of Raja’i Shahr Prison warden Gholamreza Ziayi owing to the fact that prison officials did not possess the proper permission from the Public Prosecutor to transfer him to solitary. This source reports that prison officials have previously used such methods to pressure inmates psychologically into breaking their hunger strikes, as they did in the case of Mohamma Nazari, another Kurdish political prisoner.

A separate report obtained by Abdorrahman Boroumand Center indicates that a marrow scan and biopsy on a tumor in the arm of Arash Sadeqi, another political prisoner being held at Raja’i Shahr, has led to a diagnosis of chondrosarcoma, a cancer of the cartilage. Sadeqi’s tumor is metastasizing, moreover.

The report states that Sadeqi’s mental state is relatively positive, but that his physical health is cause for concern. The informed source stated that the prison physician quickly ordered pre-surgical tests including for his heart and lungs, in order to gauge fitness for anesthesia before scheduling the procedure. The physician also warned Sadeqi’s family of his urgent need for treatment.