Hossein Ronaghi Maleki transferred from prison to the hospital

Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki with gastrointestinal bleeding and in very grave health was transferred to the hospital emergency department today.

According to CHRR, his father reported that Hossein Ronaghi Maleki who is on his 20th day of hunger strike was transferred to Shahid Modarres Hospital today August 28 around 1 pm. This is his second hospital visit in less than a week; a few days ago on August 24th Hossein was transferred to the hospital and was returned behind bars after a few hours.

Hossein Ronaghi’s family shared that they provided all of Hossein’s official medical records detailing his illnesses to the authorities and still medical furlough was denied. Seyed Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki announced that he was again requesting that the Tehran Prosecutor Abas Jafari Dolatabadi either grant prison release or medical furlough for his ailing son Hossein Ronaghi so that he can receive necessary medical care. He added that no matter how many times he has visited and called the prosecutor’s office, he has not been given any answer. Ahmad Ronaghi while expressing his great worry said that if Hossein’s situation continued to be ignored his son would end up losing his life.

Blogger Hossein Ronaghi was detained on December 13, 2009 and was held in solitary confinement for over 10 months and tortured under heavy interrogations. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison stemming from his internet activities. While in prison due to the torture he endured Hossein Ronaghi was inflicted with various illnesses including loss of function in his kidneys along with gastrointestinal, heart and bladder problems.

Hossein Ronaghi launched a hunger strike on August 9 in protest of his situation being ignored by authorities. Zoleikha Mousavi, Hossein’s mother also went on hunger strike on August 20th in support of her son. The judiciary and the prosecutor’s office have so far refused to pay heed to the situation despite Hossein Ronaghi’s very grave health. In the past days, human rights organizations, activists and their families have expressed their grave concern for Ronaghi’s health and asked that the ruling apparatus grant medical furlough. In a letter from Evin prison to the prosecutor, 41 political prisoners expressed their concern and warned about the declining health of the jailed blogger.