Ailing Political Prisoner In Iran Denied Medical Treatment

An Iranian political prisoner is said to be in poor health condition, with his jailers depriving him medical treatment while in solitary confinement.

Security forces arrested Reza Ramazanzadeh on January 7 and transferred him to Ward 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence.

No official charges have been brought against him.

Ramzanzadeh suffers from digestive and stomach problems caused by a hunger strike launched during his previous incarceration, sources told IranWire. These health problems have intensified because he doesn’t have access to a doctor.

His brother Sajjad Ramzanzadeh has been detained since October.

The Islamic Republic has unleashed a brutal crackdown on the anti-government protest movement that has swept Iran for more than four months, killing more than 520 people and detaining over 18,000, activists say.

Around 20 people have been handed capital punishment in connection with the demonstrations. Four young men have been executed so far amid international outrage.

Many other detainees have been handed long-term prison sentences.

Reza Ramzanzadeh was previously arrested in November 2019 in connection with nationwide protests that erupted a year earlier following the announcement of a sharp spike in the price of gasoline.

He was sentenced to three years in prison and was conditionally released after spending a few months behind bars.