Iran: Protests Outside Tehran Prison In Support Of Activist On Hunger Strike

In a rare demonstration outside Tehrans Evin prison a number of Iranians have taken part  in expression  of  support for Arash Sadeghi a jailed activist on hunger strike.  Many worry Sadeghi’s life is on the line in Iran’s Evin prison.

Mr Sadeghi is philosophy student who is serving a 15-year prison sentence on security charges. Sadeghi has reportedly been been on a hunger strike for the  two months in protest over the arrest of his wife, Golrokh Ebrahim October 24.

His wife was sentenced to prison on dubious grounds for the content of an unpublished work of fiction. The story is about stonings in Iran. The story follows the emotional response of a young woman who watches the film The Stoning of Soraya, which tells the true story of a woman who was stoned to death for adultery

Sadeghi’s hunger strike has put him in the spotlight and earned him the admiration of many who see him as a symbol of resistance against state repression in the Islamic republic.

Sadeghi told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the charges stemmed from his support of students who had been denied education and also for taking part in peaceful human rights gatherings.
Mr Sadeghi is serving a 15-year prison sentence on the charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the state,” “spreading lies in cyberspace,” and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic.”

Mr Sadeghi has extensively reported on abuses and poor prison conditions, as well as violations committed by the authorities including torture, ill treatment, lack of visitation rights and access to a lawyer, and lack of medical treatment for prisoners. Arash was also involved in several campaigns and gatherings protesting against the unlawful detention of human rights defender Narges Mohammadi and against the execution of human rights defender Gholamreza Khosravi.