Prisoners arrested on 25 Bahman on hunger strike

Human Rights House of IRAN -- Gholam Hossein Ghasemi, Hamid Abedini, Ali Azad, Toofan Hatefi, Massoud Kermi, Hamed Aslani, Mohsen Moradi, Mohammad Ali Abdali, Gholam Hossein Azari Najfabadi and Ali Shekarji are 10 prisoners who were detained during anti-government protests on 25 Bahman (February 14), and are still being held behind bars in Evin prison.

Human Rights House of Iran reports that these 10 citizens are being held in Ward 7 of Evin prison, which houses violent offenders. They have embarked on a hunger strike in protest of being kept in this ward among criminals.

Among these prisoners, Ali Shekarji started his hunger strike 3 days ago and was transferred to solitary confinement after objecting to the behavior of the violent felons. As a result, the 9 other detainees also embarked on a hunger strike in a show of support.

Massoud Kermi is a Norwegian-Iranian citizen who had returned to Iran after 20 years of living abroad. He returned to the country to protest the illegal detention and house arrest of the leaders of the Green movement; Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi.

Supporters of the Green Movement whose leaders are under house arres, had called people to the streets to commemorate 25 Bahman (February 14) and protest the illegal detainment of their leaders. But as crowds attempted to gather in cities across the country, they were met by a heavy presence of security forces blocking their movement and making scores of arrests.

Article in Persian: www.rahana.org/archives/48125