Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labor activist, was arrested in front of the entrance to Saqqez Hospital and then transferred to the prison yesterday for serving his one-year prison sentence.

“on Oct 28, 2017, Mahmoud Salehi, was arrested at Imam Khomeini hospital in Saqqez city when leaving the hospital after being treated with dialysis. He was transferred to the court where a new decree was issued and his nine-year prison sentence was reduced to one-year imprisonment in Saqqez prison.”, a family member of this labor activist told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).

“His family are extremely concerned about his health because his medications were discontinued when he was arrested last time and he lost both his kidneys as a result. Therefore, now he needs dialysis twice a week, On Tuesdays and Saturdays. However, there are no such facilities inside the prison.” The source added.

Mahmoud Salehi, a labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee for Assisting the Formation of Workers’ Organisations and former political prisoners of the sixties, was arrested on Tuesday, Apr 28, 2015 (on the eve of the International Labor Day) by security forces in his own house in Sanandaj. He was released on the bail after more than a month of detention in a poor physical condition.

This labor activist was transferred to the Intelligent Detention Centre of Sanandaj after being arrested in Saqqez while suffering from kidney failure. He was taken to the Intelligence Detention Centre of Sanandaj to the handcuffed, pounded and blindfolded. Due to not having access to medication in the prison and negligence of the prison authorities, he lost both his kidneys.

On May 27, 2015, the activist was transferred from the detention centre to Besat and Tohid hospitals in Sanandaj due to his deteriorating health. After three days of hospitalization, he was transferred to the detention centre again before being released temporarily on bail.

Mahmoud Salehi went on two trials in August 1994 at Revolutionary Court (branch 1) in Sanandaj. He was sentenced to a total of 9 years in prison including one and a half years of imprisonment for propaganda against the regime and seven and a half years of imprisonment for membership in anti-governmental communities abroad.

He contested the verdict and his case was referred to the Court of Appeals where a hearing was held on March 6, 2017.