Farshad Kamangar in ICU After 29 Days of Hunger Strike

HRANA News Agency – After 29 days of hunger strike, the Kurdish prisoner Farshad Kamangar has been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in the city of Bijar. He is in extremely critical condition.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Farshad Kamangar has been behind bars in Kermanshah, Marivan and Bijar prisons for two years on alleged financial crimes. Although Farshad Kamangar has served his full prison sentence, he remains behind bars because he is unable to pay a fine to the Iranian government.

Since his hunger strike began 29 days ago, prison officials have ignored Farshad Kamangar’s requests and have failed to take any actions to address his concerns. Early this morning, August 23, 2011, while Farshad Kamangar’s family was heading to Tehran to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, prison authorities informed them that Farshad had been taken to the intensive care in extremely critical condition. Hospital officials have not given Farshad Kamangar’s family the permission to see him while he is in ICU and have said that he is in “grave condition.”

Farshad Kamangar’s family members have asked various government and hospital officials for the permission to see him but have been denied a visit every time. Dayeh Saltaneh is Farshad Kamangar’s elderly mother who has now fallen ill due to excessive pressure and concerns for her son’s life.

Farshad Kamangar and Hassan Akhtar Samand together with two other prisoners were transferred from Marivan to Bijar Prison on July 25, 2011. They began their hunger strike upon their arrival in protest to being exiled to Bijar. Hassan Akhtar Samand is a political prisoner.