Blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki transferred to a hospital

Ailing blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki who was refusing to accept any medication or medical treatment at the prison infirmary has now been transferred to Hasheminejad Hospital.

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki had refused any medicines or treatment at the prison clinic, requesting that he be transferred to a qualified hospital without being shackled. Despite this request, his medical treatment had been delayed for the past three weeks.

According to Human Rights House of Iran, this blogger and human rights activist’s request has finally been granted and he has been transferred to Tehran’s Hasheminejad hospital.

Even though during the past weeks, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi had issued an order for a hospital transfer, Hossein had remained behind bars with no medical attention.

Hossein had asked in a letter to the prosecutor that he be transferred from prison to a hospital, this time without being shackled. He also asked to be granted [his legal right to] prison furlough, so he may recover from his recent surgeries at home, as per the doctor’s recommendations.

Blogger and human rights activist Hossein Ronaghi Maleki has now spent more than 670 days behind bars. Despite suffering from a serious kidney ailment, the judicial and security officials have banned Hossein Ronaghi Maleki from prison furlough.

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was arrested on December 13, 2009 in Melkan, a city situated close to Tabriz. He was held in solitary confinement at ward 2A of Evin prison where for 10 months he was tortured and put under severe physical and psychological duress in an effort to extract a false televised confession. Eventually branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court issued Hossein Ronaghi Maleki a 15-year prison sentence, which was later upheld at the appeals court.

Despite his deteriorating health, this ailing blogger and activist has been forced to continue serving his sentence behind bars in ward 350 of Evin prison.

Source: Human Rights House of IRAN