Political Prisoner Held in Ward With Violent Offenders Injured in Knife Attack

Political prisoner Amir Amirgholi suffered injuries on his face from a knife attack by two non-political prisoners in Evin Prison on November 16, 2016, his father told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Despite being imprisoned for his peaceful activism, Amirgholi has been illegally incarcerated in a ward with dangerous offenders.

“The incident happened at two in the morning on Wednesday, November 16 in Ward 8,” said his father, Abbas Amirgholi. “Even though there are security cameras, none of the prison guards or officials came to his cell to see what had happened until daybreak.”

“We had a meeting with Mr. Hajiloo, the supervising assistant prosecutor at the prison, and he promised to investigate the incident and transfer Amir to another ward. My son is not safe there,” he added.

Currently awaiting a decision on his appeal, Amir Amirgholi has repeatedly expressed concern over his safety, and went on a wet hunger strike from April 9, 2016 to May 1 to demand a transfer to a ward for political prisoners.

According to Article 8 of the Prison Organization’s Procedural Regulations, prisoners are allocated to wards “based on the type and duration of their punishment, prior criminal record, character and manners.”

“Amir is being held in Ward 8 where most of the inmates are serving time for non-political convictions because the authorities have not applied the regulations on the separation of prisoners. The biggest problem in Ward 8 is overcrowding,” Abbas Amirgholi told the Campaign.

In January 2016 Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Amir Amirgholi to 21 years in prison for “insulting the sacred,” “insulting the supreme leader,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “disturbing public order” and “propaganda against the state.”

“The biggest charge against my son is ‘assembly and collusion against national security’ based on his participation in rallies in front of the United Nations office in Tehran in support of the people of Kobani (in Syria),” Abbas Amirgholi told the Campaign in May 2016. “But he was only engaging in a civil action in line with Iran’s own policy in Syria and Iraq in fighting Daesh [terrorist group called the Islamic State].”

“He is also being punished for protesting in front of the Tehran Municipality [headquarters] in support of a street vendor who was assaulted by municipal workers at a metro station,” added Abbas Amirgholi. “What he did was only a peaceful action in defense of workers, not against national security.”

“My request for the judicial authorities is for them to make a judgment based on the truth instead of what has been dictated to them,” he said.