Kurdish political prisoner Siyamak Ashrafi has announced his dry hunger strike at Orumiyeh Prison in a letter released on day 26 of his hunger strike, an informed source has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).

“Siamak Ashrafi has gone on a hunger strike today because of the refusal of prison authorities to review his demands. He referred to the office of ward’s guard and announced his dry hunger strike in a letter.”, a reliable source has told KHRN.

According to the source, authorities at Orumiyeh prison have tried to dissuade him from his decision and asked him to return to the ward but he has continued his sit-in and hunger strike in front of the guard’s office until now.

Ashrafi has been on hunger strike since January 21 in protest to the refusal of authorities to grant him a conditional release and his disrespectful treatment by the staff of Branch 9 of Enforcement Office of Orumiyeh Court.

Siamak Ashrafi wrote a letter to the prison officials and announced his hunger strike when he was informed about the disrespectful behaviour of the staff at Branch 9 of the Enforcement Office towards his family who had referred to this office to make enquiries about the outcome of his application for conditional release.

He was previously transferred to the prison’s clinic due to his physical health condition following a hunger strike on February 6. Despite the doctors’ insistence on ending the strike, he refused treatment and he was returned to the ward again.