Prisoner Dies in Iran After Being Denied Medical Care

A 48-year-old prisoner serving a seven-year sentence in Urmia Central Prison has died due to the lack of medical attention, human rights groups reported.

The prison's medical staff had recommended that the prisoner, Ruhollah Mohammadi, be transferred to a hospital for treatment of a heart condition, but authorities denied the request.

Mohammadi was midway through his seven-year sentence for non-political crimes when his health deteriorated. 

Despite the medical staff's assessment that he required hospitalization, prison officials refused to authorize the transfer.

According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Mohammadi died on Tuesday. 

At least 32 inmates died within the confines of the Islamic Republic's prisons last year.  Nine of them were political prisoners. At least 11 of the reported deaths were caused by torture, human rights groups reported. 

Other fatalities were caused by delayed medical treatment or denial of healthcare, fighting between inmates, suicides, and suspected poisonings.

Moreover, 60 percent of those who died inside prisons were Kurds.