Kurdish political prisoner on hunger strike Saeed Shirzad was transferred to a prison infirmary and then to a hospital outside his prison following a sudden drop in his blood pressure on 12 January.

Another Kurdish political prisoner, Foad Yousefi, detained in Rajaei Shahr prison (Karaj), is also on hunger strike.

Zeynab Sakanvand Lakran, a Kurdish female prisoner held in Orumiyeh prison, has put an end to her hunger strike after 5 days after a promise from the prison authorities listen to her demands.

A reliable source spoke to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) saying: “Shirzad who is lives a dire situation because of his long hunger strike was transferred in the morning of 12 January from the prison infirmary to a hospital in Karaj city because of an unprecedented drop in blood pressure. He went on hunger strike on 7 December 2016, in order to o protest against medical neglect of political prisoners in
Iranian prisons.”

The KHRN source said: “In the last few days, his health badly worsened with the suddent drop in his blood pressure while his body turned extremely thin with an unbearable kidney and stomach pains, loss of balance and difficulties to stand up and walk. He refused to be transferred to hospital outside the prison and once taken to the hospital, he refused to be placed on a drip and insisted to continue his hunger strike.”

One month ago, Saeed sewed his lips that’s why he can only drink water with sugar.’

Mrs Zeynab Sakanvand Lakran is a death row prisoner detained in Oroumiyeh prison. She was arrested at the age of 17 and accused (without evidences) of the murder of her ex husband.

She went on hunger strike on 6 January to protest against unexplained interruption of the weekly meetings with her second husband (a man she married when she was already behind bars).

The prison authorities promised that the weekly meetings with her husband would resume soon and accepted to end her hunger strike on 11 January.

Negotiations by her family and representatives to obtain a pardon for her from family members of the victim (her ex-husband) are in progress and a meeting with joint meeting has been scheduled for the next days.