Iranian of the Day

Committee of Human Rights Reporters: Elmira (Farah) Vazehan, political prisoner inside the women’s ward of Evin prison embarked on a hunger strike on October 5, 2012 in protest to being barred from receiving medical treatment.

This political prisoner was on medical leave after posting bail, but was summoned back to Evin prison a few days before the NAM Summit was to take place in Tehran, and told that she would be allowed furlough to resume her medical treatment after the Summit. However, due to her deteriorating health, Vazehan had refused to respond to the illegal summons.

Elmira Vazehan was detained by agents on September 19, 2012 and transferred back to prison. Despite a prior guarantee by judicial authorities to grant her medical furlough, she was not allowed to go to the hospital to undergo an operation that had been scheduled for October 2, 2012.

Elmira Vazehan is in deteriorating health suffering from a serious heart condition and a malignant tumor in her stomach. Even though the medical staff at Evin prison recommended that she be immediately transferred to a hospital to receive needed medical care, the prison authorities have refused to grant her furlough.

Elmira (Farah) Vazehan had traveled to Iran after years of living abroad to visit her 18-year-old cancer-stricken daughter. She was arrested at her home along with her husband and 2 children on December 29, 2009, a few days after the Ashura uprising when mass protests were taking place contesting the presidential elections of that year. On August 4th 2010, Vazehan was charged with taking part in illegal protests and “moharebeh” (enmity against god) and was sentenced to death by Judge Salavati presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. The appellate court later commuted her death sentence and she was handed a 17-year prison sentence.