Sunni prisoner deprived of medical treatment

HRANA News Agency – Aram Mikaeli, a Sunni prisoner of conscience detained in Saghez Central Prison, Kurdistan province of Iran, has been deprived of medical treatment despite suffering from numerous medical conditions.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), despite the judicial authorities approving a period of medical leave for Aram to receive medical treatment, the security forces have prevented the decision from being enforced.

He is suffering from severe stomach ulcers, sciatica and severe joint pain in his feet. These medical conditions can be easily managed through medication, and the refusal by the security forces to provide adequate medical care has caused him unnecessary pain and suffering.

A recent report published by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a human rights federation with 178 member organisations in 100 different countries, expressed grave concern over the Iranian authorities’ refusal to give sick prisoners of conscience access to adequate medical care.

“Iranian authorities deny prisoners access to medical care on purpose”, commented FIDH president Karim Lahidji.

“They punish prisoners of conscience twice: first by arbitrarily arresting and imprisoning them, then by creating unbearable conditions of detention, including deprivation from medical treatment for sick prisoners, that aggravates further their bad health and physical conditions,” he said.

Aram Mikaeli was active in preaching Sunni Islam in his village in Saghez and discussing religious issues in the local mosque. He was arrested in Saghez by Intelligence agents on 14 November 2010 whilst distributing rice to the poor on the night of Arafat, in preparation for the day of Eid.

He was held in solitary confinement for 17 months in the Ministry of Intelligence, before being sentenced to nine years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court under the pretext of ‘supporting Salafi groups.’

Aram Mikaeli has endured numerous incidents of discrimination from the prison authorities. In August 2013, he and another prisoner were forced to spend at least 10 days in the prison quarantine after they refused to obey prison officials who had ordered them to shave their heads and beards.

In December 2013 he was forced to spend more than a week in solitary confinement after refusing to obey prison officials who ordered him to stop teaching Qur’an classes within the prison. He was also in trouble for organizing congregational Eid prayers for the prisoners.