An Iranian-American citizen held at Orumiyeh Central Prison has been transferred to the hospital out of prison due to his critical health condition who has been under treatment for the past five days, a source confirmed to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).

Iranian-American citizen Akbar Lakestani was arrested on 28 September, 2019 at the Sarv border after entering the Iranian territory in West Azerbaijan province.

Lakestani was taken from ward 3-4 of Orumiyeh Central Prison to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre on 5 October who was interrogated for several days.

Lakestani was returned to Orumiyeh Central Prison at the end of interrogation, however, he was finally hospitalized due to deteriorating his health condition.

Akbar Lakestani is the former chairman of the City Council of Shoot. The Iranian security forces arrested him in 2007 when he was sentenced to three years in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Khoy on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the authorities.” 

He succeeded in fleeing from Iran when he was released from prison in 2009 and later sought refuge in the United States.