Iranian Protester Denied Medical Leave

Mohsen Ghiasi, who was arrested during the 2019 protests in Iran, has been denied medical furlough following his protest against prison conditions.

He finds himself trapped in a web of legal repercussions as he serves a five-year and three-month sentence at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. 

A source close to Ghiasi's family told the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) that Ghiasi was sent to solitary confinement as a punitive measure for protesting the dire circumstances in the prison during Ramadan. 

After enduring eight days in isolation, Ghiasi's subsequent medical leave was revoked, intensifying concerns over his well-being.

Ghiasi, 42, the father of one, was initially arrested by security forces on November 26, 2019, in Isfahan during the nationwide demonstrations triggered by a surge in fuel prices. 

Following four months in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, he was transferred to the Fashafouyeh Prison.

Temporarily released on bail on March 15, 2020, Ghiasi's legal battles persisted. 

On March 1, 2023, a Revolutionary Court handed Ghiasi a sentence of seven years and three months on multiple charges, including "insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran" and "assembly and collusion against national security."

Applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which mandates the imposition of the harshest punishment in cases of multiple charges, Ghiasi was sentenced to serve five years and three months in prison.