Political prisoner Mohammad Nazari who has been on hunger strike since July 30, 2017 in Rajaei Shahr Prison in protest to the non-enforcement of Article 10 of Procedural Law in his case was transferred to Khomeini Hospital and his health condition has been reported critical.

“On Sunday, Oct 29, 2017, Mohammad Nazari was transferred to Tehran’s Khomeini Hospital in the 90th day of his hunger strike due to due to his deteriorating health,” an informed source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).

“The security guards handcuffed the political prisoner in the hospital bed despite the fact that he has lost 25 kilos and can barely walk and talk.”, this source added.

“The doctors have advised that the continuation of the hunger strike would be dangerous for his health due to his age, but the political prisoner has so far insisted on continuing his strike and is still on hunger strike,” the source said.

On Saturday, Oct 22, 2017, Amnesty International issued a statement expressing concern about the health of this political prisoner after about 80 days of hunger strike and called for his immediate and unconditional release.

Nazari (Born on July 11, 1971 as son of Hamdollah) was arrested by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence in the city of Boukan, West Azerbaijan Province, on May 30, 1994. Six months later, Judge Abdolahad Jalilzadeh at Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court (branch 1) sentenced him to death for his alleged membership in the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), an opposition group seeking autonomy for Iran’s Kurdish region.

Despite making an appeal, the verdict against him was finalised. Nazari’s sentence was reduced to life imprisonment in 1999 amid the Islamic festival of Eid Qorban when the supreme leader pardoned some prisoners upon the recommendation of the Judiciary. He was transferred to Raja’i Shahr prison in Karaj after serving about 13 years and a half in prison at the Orumiyeh Central Prison along with several other political prisoners.

Two of his cellmates known as Zahir Mostafaei and Mohammad Mehdi Zali lost their life late 2010 after 17 years of imprisonment and in June 2012 after 21 years of imprisonment respectively due to illness in the prison and neglect of the authorities.

Nazari also suffers from heart disease, but Mahabad Court refuses to grant permission for treatment at a hospital outside the prison.