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Solidarity Needed

Iran: Urgent Request for Solidarity

Depriving prisoners of medical treatment is a crime! Freedom for all political prisoners in Iran! For the immediate release of Behnam Moosivand!

Sunday, 1 May 2022 16:22 (UTC)
International Socialist Alternative
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We demand the immediate release of Behnam Moosivand, as well as the immediate release of all political prisoners.

International Socialist Alternative stands in solidarity with Behnam Moosivand, his family and comrades, and all political prisoners in Iran. The increased repression of the Iranian regime particularly against socialists, leftists, women & labor activists is an expression of their instability and fear in the context of a new wave of working-class struggle against dictatorship and economic hardship.

With inflation skyrocketing new struggles are arising — the Iranian regime and its criminal policies need to be fought by a strong, independent working-class movement. To win full democratic rights and the end of repression we cannot rely on Western imperialist powers — the workers’ and trade union movement internationally needs to show its support with these activists, and build pressure to demand their immediate release.

  • Depriving prisoners of medical treatment is a crime!
  • Freedom for all political prisoners!
  • Down with the Iranian regime!

In the last days we have received information that Behnam Moosivand, a political prisoner and socialist activist in Iran, is in very bad condition. He has been on a hunger strike for more than eleven days now.

In December it was reported he was in urgent need of surgery outside of prison on the doctor’s orders, but was denied medical care due to his refusal to accept handcuffs and shackles. Finally, in the last days of April this year, with a promise from the prison guards not to use handcuffs and bindings, Moosivand was released from prison. However, before releasing him, the prison guards used force and beatings on his arms and legs, handcuffed him, and transported his sick body to Rajai Hospital in Karaj. In a letter, Moosivand has described what had happened to him in the hospital.

He went on a hunger strike to protest the behavior of the prison guards. In a voice message from prison, he stated that the strike was not a call for release, leave, or even treatment, and reiterated that “my only means of resistance is my body.” Six days into the strike, it was announced that his physical condition had dramatically worsened. Finally, on April 26, he was transferred to Taleghani Hospital due to his deteriorating condition.

What is happening to Behnam Moosivand has been repeated many times in Iranian prisons, and in some cases has led to tragedy. One of these cases is Behnam Mahjoubi, another the murder of Baktash Abtin, a poet, filmmaker, and member of the Writers’ Association of Iran. In the last days of April this year, Mehdi Salehi Ghaleh Shahrokhi died too.

A few days after the assassination of Baktash Abtin, a circular issued by the Prisons Organization explaining the rights of detainees was used to deceive public opinion. But what happened to many political prisoners after that was just a repetition of the previous situation. In April of this year, Amnesty International published a detailed report on deaths due to a lack of medical care in Iranian prisons. According to this report, from January to April, lack of medical care had led already to the death of 96 prisoners.

Behnam was arrested during the protests in 2017/18 and sentenced to five years in prison. He had been arrested over and over again because of his political activism. He was sentenced for “conspiracy against national security” and “anti-regime propaganda activities” by the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh.

We demand the immediate release of Behnam Moosivand, as well as the immediate release of all political prisoners. Over the last months — after a new wave of workplace and social struggles — many trade unionists and political activists have been criminally arrested by the regime. We need international working class solidarity to fight this repression.

Please send to, or organise protests at the Iranian Embassy in your country and ask any trade union activists or those with positions to do so too. A Model protest letter for sending to the Embassy is below. Please send any information, with photos and reports to [email protected]

Model Protest Letter

To the Iranian Embassy in ….

  • Depriving prisoners of medical treatment is a crime!
  • Freedom for all political prisoners in Iran!
  • For the immediate release of Behnam Moosivand!

In the last days we have been informed that Behnam Moosivand, a political prisoner and socialist activist in Iran, is in extremely bad health. Moosivand has been on a hunger strike for more than eleven days now in protest at the behavior of the prison guards.

Six days after he started the strike, it was announced that his physical condition had dramatically worsened. On April 26, he was transferred to Taleghani Hospital due to his deteriorating condition.

What is happening to Behnam Moosivand has been repeated many times in Iranian prisons and in some cases has led to tragedy. In April of this year, Amnesty International published a detailed report on deaths due to lack of medical care in Iranian prisons. According to this report, from January to April, lack of medical care had led already to the death of 96 prisoners.

We demand Moosivand’s immediate release as well as the immediate release of all political prisoners. Over the last months — after a new wave of workplace and social struggles — many trade unionists and political activists have been criminally arrested by the regime. We demand their release and the end of all repression, torture, and state violence.

Signed by ………………

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Iran: Urgent Request for Solidarity (01 May 2022)

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