Seven Kurdish political and religious prisoners- Rahmi Turgut, Bashir Pirmawane, Qader Salimi, Mustafa Sabzi, Peyman Mirzazadeh, Mansour Chopani and Mohammed Pishbin- have been on hunger strike for the past two weeks. Their health condition has been reported critical. These prisoners went on hunger strike in protest to the negligence of the Judiciary and prison officials. They have continued their hunger strike despite being subjected to the pressure and intimidation by prison officials.
Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has obtained information that Rahimi Turgut and Bashir Pirmawane have been on hunger strike since July 22, 2019, Mustafa Sabzi and Qader Salimi have been on hunger strike since July 23, Peyman Mirzazadeh has been on hunger strike since May 27 and Mansour Chopani has been on hunger strike since May 28. Another religious prisoner, Mohammed Pishbin, also went on hunger strike yesterday.
According to reports received by KHRN, Rahmi Turgut, Bashir Pirmavanah, Qader Salimi and Mustafa Sabzi are in critical health condition as a result of the hunger strike and their cellmates take them to the prison health care daily for blood pressure control.
Prison officials have ignored the requests of the prisoners while putting pressure on them to end their strikes and prevent spreading strike among other political prisoners. In the face of these pressures, the Orumiyeh Central Prison Security Guard has summoned the afore-mentioned prisoners yesterday and demanded them to sign a form accepting the consequences of their hunger strike. However, none of the prisoners on hunger strike have signed the form.
Mirzazadeh has gone on strike in protest to the issue of flogging and two-year prison sentence against him in his new case while the other sixe prisoners are protesting against the refusal of prison officials to grant them parole or transfer them to a prison near their parents’ place of residence.
