Farhad Meysami was released from Rajaie Shahr prison
On 10 February 2023, Farhad Meysami was released from Rajaie Shahr prison. Since 4 February 2023, as part of a general amnesty announced by the Iranian judiciaryon the occasion of 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, hundreds of prisoners including human rights defenders have been released from prison.
On 26 May 2022, after being transferred back to Rajaie Shahr prison the day before, human rights defender Farhad Meysami ended his hunger strike due to the deteroriation of his health condition. The human rights defender had been on hunger strike since 7 May 2022 to urge the Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor, who was convicted of espionage for a hostile government and sentenced to death.
On 25 May 2022, human rights defender, Farhad Meysami, was transferred to Rajaie Shahr prison in Alborz province from hospital, where he was reportedly handcuffed and shackled to a bed. Following the deterioration of his health due to a hunger strike, the human rights defender had been transferred to hospital on 21 May 2022. The human rights defender has been on hunger strike since 7 May 2022 and is calling on Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor, convicted of espionage for a hostile government and sentenced to death.
Farhad Mey
sami is a civil and women’s rights defender, teacher and medical doctor. He has been in detention since 31 July 2018, when he was arrested for his involvement with “Girls of Enghelab Street” — a series of peaceful protests against the compulsory hijab in Iran. He was convicted on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system”, “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security” and “insulting Islamic sanctities”. In December 2018, he was handed down a five year prison sentence, a one year restriction on his civil and political rights and a two year travel ban by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. During his imprisonment, Farhad Meysami has led peaceful protests against the restriction of prisoners’ rights.
On 10 February 2023, Farhad Meysami was released from Rajaie Shahr prison. Since 4 February 2023, as part of a general amnesty announced by the Iranian judiciaryon the occasion of 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, hundreds of prisoners including human rights defenders have been released from prison.
On 26 May 2022, after being transferred back to Rajaie Shahr prison the day before, human rights defender Farhad Meysami ended his hunger strike due to the deteroriation of his health condition. The human rights defender had been on hunger strike since 7 May 2022 to urge the Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor, who was convicted of espionage for a hostile government and sentenced to death.
On 26 May 2022, Farhad Meysami informed his lawyer that he will discontinue his hunger strike, as the judicial authorities have officially announced that they are considering an appeal by Ahmadreza Djalali’s lawyers to delay his execution which was scheduled for 21 May 2022.
On 25 May 2022, human rights defender, Farhad Meysami, was transferred to Rajaie Shahr prison in Alborz province from hospital, where he was reportedly handcuffed and shackled to a bed. Following the deterioration of his health due to a hunger strike, the human rights defender had been transferred to hospital on 21 May 2022. The human rights defender has been on hunger strike since 7 May 2022 and is calling on Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor, convicted of espionage for a hostile government and sentenced to death.
Farhad Meysami is a civil and women’s rights defender, teacher and medical doctor. He has been in detention since 31 July 2018, when he was arrested for his involvement with “Girls of Enghelab Street” — a series of peaceful protests against the compulsory hijab in Iran. He was convicted on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system”, “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security” and “insulting Islamic sanctities”. In December 2018, he was handed down a five year prison sentence, a one year restriction on his civil and political rights and a two year travel ban by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. During his imprisonment, Farhad Meysami has led peaceful protests against the restriction of prisoners’ rights.
On 16 May 2022, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that the judiciary was considering an appeal by Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor Ahmadreza Djalali’s lawyers to delay his execution that was scheduled for 21 May 2022. Following this, Farhad Meysami informed his lawyer that he will continue his hunger strike, which began on 7 May 2022, until the halting of the execution and the release of teachers’ rights defenders, who have been arrested widely since the beginning of May 2022 in Iran.
Farhad Meysami is suffering from gastrointestinal complications and requires medication, including for intestinal colitis. The human rights defender contracted COVID-19 in October 2020 and had, at no point, been granted furlough on health grounds during the pandemic. According to his lawyer, the human rights defender had very low readings for blood pressure and for his blood sugar, and was subsequently transferred to hospital. On 25 May 2022, Farhad Meysami, was transferred back Rajaie Shahr prison in Alborz province from hospital without receiving appropriate treatment.
Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned about the grave deterioration of the health of human rights defender Farhad Meysami while on hunger strike in Rajaie Shahr prison. The organisation is particularly concerned, given the vulnerable health condition of the human rights defender, about his pre-existing gastrointestinal problems and the living conditions for detainees in the prison while on a hunger strike. Front Line Defenders believes that the treatment of Farhad Meysami in Rajaie Shahr prison is solely due to his peaceful and legitimate work in defense of prisoners’ rights and protesting peacefully against the death penalty.
