Political Prisoner's Health Deteriorating In Iranian Jail

A political prisoner detained in Iran’s Mashhad prison in the northeast, has revealed the extent of his deteriorating health condition during his latest contact.

Activist Abbas Vahedian Shahroodi released an audio file in which he explains that the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet are suffering from extreme peeling, and he is forced to constantly remove excess skin with a nail clipper.

The condition is currently so dire that due to the skin's peeling, he is suffering constant bleeding but facing medical neglect he is suffering, and his condition remains undiagnosed.

Vahedian, a teacher and writer, is one of 14 civil and political activists inside Iran who, on June 11, 2019, published an open letter demanding the resignation of Iran's ruler Ali Khamenei and fundamental changes to the constitution.

Vahedian, who was also detained and sentenced in 2018 for his civil and political activities, was tried in the Mashhad Revolutionary Court after the publication of the letter. He has been sentenced to a total of 21 years of imprisonment on charges such as "acting against national security" and "collaboration with opposition groups."

Iran’s judiciary says individuals with medical problems cannot be detained. However, this comes in the wake of numerous reports indicating that Iranian authorities have deliberately denied medical care to political prisoners, leading to fatalities and suffering, including Faramarz Javidzad, an Iranian-American citizen, who died in the notorious Evin Prison on Saturday as his physical health deteriorated due to a lack of medical attention.