Daughter of Ailing Blogger: My Father’s Life is in Danger

Persian2English – Mohammad Reza Pourshajari’s daughter, Mira Pourshajari tells Rooz that her father’s life is in danger.

Mitra talks about the heart attacks her father has suffered and the medical neglect he is faced with. She also quotes the Prosecuting Judge who said: “We sent [Mohammad Reza Pourshajari] to Ghezel Hesar Prison so he may die there.”

Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, 53, who is most known by his pen name, Siamak Mehr was running a blog by the name of “Iran’s Land Report” before he was violently arrested on September 12, 2010. He was initially held in Rajai Shahr Prison but eventually transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison. Mitra says her father has been issued his conviction based on the content published in his blog. His charges are: “Insulting the Supreme Leader”, “Acting against national security”, and “Blasphemy”. He is sentenced to a total of four years in prison.

Regarding her father’s current condition in prison, Mitra says: On Marh 22 my father suffered a [second] heart attack and was taken to Shahid Madani hospital in Karaj but was returned to the prison shortly after without receiving treatment. My father had suffered [his first] heart attack in [autumn 2012]. This is the second time that we have had to be extremely worried about my father’s wellbeing. His life is in danger and nobody is assuming responsibility or being held accountable.

She continues:

[In autumn] when my father had suffered a heart attack [prison authorities] transferred him to the hospital and performed an angiography test on him. The cardiologist at the hospital issued the diagnosis that my father must undergo an open heart surgery because of two blocked arteries. My father also has severe respiratory problems. Despite all this he was not allowed to stay at the hospital and undergo surgery. Instead they continue to hold him in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

From the beginning prison authorities have said that the surgery fees are high and thus the prison can’t do anything about it. We have requested medical leave…but [our efforts] have been unsuccessful. We told [prisoner authorities] to take [my fther] to the hospital and that we would take care of the medical fees, but they didn’t approve.

I ask her, “Why is your father being held in Ghezel Hesar Prison?”

She says:

My father was initially in Rajai Shahr Prison’s political ward. Later they transferred him to Ghezsel Hesar Prison. Before the heart attack my dad experienced problems with his prostate and suffered from kidney stones. Instead of the authorities transferring him to Rasoul Akram hospital in Tehran like they said they would my father was exiled to Ghezel Hesar Prison. I protested against this move to the Prosecutions Office in Karaj, the prison Judge, and the Judge at the implementation of sentences office. The Prosecutions office in Karaj and the prison Judge did not reply but the implementation of sentences Judge said that my father is not a human and delivered other insults. I told him that my father cannot withstand prison in his current condition. He responded that they had sent my father to Ghezel Hesar Prison to die. He directly and literally spoke to me in this manner. Additionally my father has been deprived of his right to a lawyer. He doesn’t have a lawyer.

From the time my father was arrested he has not been permitted face-to-face visits. He is permitted one cubicle visit every two weeks.

Currently we are most concerned about my father’s wellbeing. He must be transferred to a hospital to undergo surgery. The conditions in Ghezel Hesar Prison are dangerous for my father. The rising prices in Iran are also effecting inside the prisons. About five months ago prisoners were no longer able to afford sanitation supplies. The prison is extremely dirty. They even have to pay for their beds. If they can’t afford it then they are not provided a bed. There is constant shouting and fighting in the prison which causes my father to experience additional stress. In a recent letter my father wrote from prison he likened prison conditions to a zoo.