The labour activist, Mahmoud Salehi was transferred to the general section of Imam Khomeini Hospital after five days in intensive care unit. This prisoner had been transferred to Imam Khomeini Hospital from Saqqez Prison on Nov 3, 2017, due to his heart problem.

“On Thursday, November 09, my father was transferred from the heart section of the hospital to the general section as his health has improved compared to the past few days. However, serious concerns over his health continue and he urgently needs to be undergo surgery in a well-equipped hospital.”, Sarmand Salehi, the son of this prisoner, told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).

On Oct 28, 2017, Mahmoud Salehi, was arrested at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Saqez 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 Saqez prison.”, a family member of this labour activist told KHRN.

This labour activist was forced to sleep on the floor due to lack of facilities in the overcrowded prison of Saqqez after being transferred to the prison. Prison authorities refused to pass his personal blankets and belongings provided by this prisoner’s family to him.

The political prisoner had been previously transferred to the hospital for dialysis once and then returned back to the hospital. On November 3, he was taken to prison’s clinic first and then to the Emergency section of Imam Khomeini’s hospital in Saqqez due to suffering from serious heart problem and the possibility of having a half stroke and deterioration of his health.

“The doctors have insisted that my son should be transferred to a better-equipped hospital in Tehran or Tabriz for further treatments. Nevertheless, the prison officials have not yet responded to our demands for transferring him.”, his son maintained.

Meanwhile, release of a photo showing Salehi handcuffed and shackled to a hospital bed despite his ill health has resulted in the massive protest of the public.

Mahmoud Salehi, a labour 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 Labour Day) by security forces in his own house in Sanandaj. He was released on the bail after more than a month of detention despite his poor physical condition.

This labour activist was transferred to the Intelligence Detention Centre of Sanandaj after being arrested in Saqqez while suffering from kidney failure. He was taken to the Intelligence Detention Centre of Sanandaj while being 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 hospitalisation, 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.