Deprivation of Medical Care Jeopardizes Political Prisoner’s Life
Int.'l Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
26-May-2012

(25 May 2012) The Iranian Judiciary should immediately provide medical care for political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi Maleki and avoid another human tragedy, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. It should also end its systematic policy of denying medical care to prisoners of conscience, thereby causing them permanent physical harm and disability, the Campaign added.

On 19 May 2012, Ronaghi began a hunger strike to protest the denial of his medical furlough. Ronaghi suffers from kidney failure and has been routinely denied medical furlough since his incarceration.

“This is the fifth time he is undergoing surgery and all physicians, including the Medical Examiner, have ordered special medical care for him post-operation,” Ronaghi’s father, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki, told the Campaign. “But they want Hossein to return to prison after his surgery, a prison that has no medical facilities, suitable nutrition, nor kidney specialists.”

“Using medical attention as leverage to bring prisoners to their knees is a shameful and inhumane practice, which Iranian intelligence has been using repeatedly,” said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesperson for the Campaign. “Prisoners’ health conditions should not be compromised under any circumstances.”

The Campaign has collected firsthand testimonies of purposeful deprivations of urgent medical care for prisoners of conscience. In situations where prisoners are allowed to seek medical treatme... >>>


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