Haeri, Daralshafa & Hosseini Vojdan end their hunger strike

Committee of Human Rights Reporters – 3 political prisoners from Cellblock 3 of Ward 350 Evin prison announced the end to their hunger strike.

According to CHRR, Saeed Haeri, Yashar Daralshafa and Davar Hosseini Vojdan while expressing their continued demand for answers regarding the vicious and inhumane attack in Evin prison on Black Thursday, announced that they have joined a number of other prisoners in ending their hunger strike.

On October 17th, officials under the pretext of conducting a search raided Evin prison’s public Ward 350. During the violent encounter that ensued many prisoners suffered serious wounds and about 32 were transferred to solitary confinement in Ward 240 under the jurisdiction of the IRGC. In the days that followed a large number of prisoners went on hunger strike in protest of the vicious and brutal encounter.

Even though cellblock 3 where Saeed Haeri, Yashar Daralshafa and Davar Hosseini reside was searched without incident, when the search was over per orders of the prison authorities, security guards indiscriminately attacked and beat inmates residing in cellblocks 1 and 3, severely wounding many of them. A large number were subsequently transferred to solitary confinement and kept in Ward 240. Most have been returned to public Ward 350, but some still remain locked up in solitary cells.

The distraught family members of the wounded political prisoners organized protests outside the office of the Tehran Prosecutor and prison offices. However before their second protest, intelligence officials descended upon the home of former CHRR member Saeed Haeri and threatened his family. The officials terrorized Haeri’s family and warned them to cancel their planned gathering. They also placed menacing phone calls to other families including that of Hosseini Vojdan threatening them with dire consequences if they took part in any protest of the raid.

As part of their terror campaign aimed at intimidating the families of political prisoners, officials arrested Kaveh Daralshafa, brother of political prisoner Yashar Daralshafa at their home on April 25th.

On April 21st, in a visitation with his family from prison that lasted only 5 minutes in a heavy security atmosphere under the watchful eyes of 4 Intelligence officers, Saeed Haeri said, “Tell everyone that this place has turned into a torture chamber and they treat us like prisoners at Abu Gharib detention center.”

According to CHRR, former member Saeed Haeri suffered intense bruising on his body from the baton blows. His feet were so badly injured he could barely walk. Despite his injuries and his deteriorating health due to his hunger strike, officials refused to allow medical attention.

Even though Haeri has spent over 17 months behind bars without his right to furlough, he embarked on a hunger strike along with other prisoners who were badly beaten in protest of the vicious and illegal actions of security officials.

Saeed Haeri was arrested on December 20, 2009 along with other members of CHRR, Shiva Nazarahari and Kouhyar Goudarzi. Haeri endured 80 days of detention under harsh interrogations before being released on 100 million tomans bail pending his trial.

In September 2010, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Pir-Abassi handed the human rights activist a 2.6-year prison sentence along with 72 lashes. The appellate court later reduced the verdict to 2 years in prison. Charges against him were “disturbing the peace,” “illegal gathering and collusion,” and “membership in Committee of Human Rights Reporters.”

After receiving 4 summonses to appear in prison and threatened with collateralization if he did not show up, on September 12, 2012, Saeed Haeri turned himself in at Evin prison where he is serving his 2-year sentence behind bars.