On hunger strike, incarcerated blogger and human rights activist Hossein Ronaghi Malki has written a letter to imprisoned student activist Arash Sadeghi, who went on a hunger strike in support of Ronaghi. In his letter Ronaghi urges Sadeghi to halt his hunger strike.

According to reports by Kalameh, imprisoned student activist Arash Sadeghi who launched a hunger strike few days ago, was allowed a visit by his grandfather in the presence of security agents.

During this visit Arash told his grandfather that he had been placed in solitary confinement for the last four months and was interrogated every three weeks.

Allameh Tabatabai university student activist, Arash Sadeghi was first arrested July 09, 2009, during the suppression of the post-presidential election protests. He was released after 50 days in solitary confinement.

Sadeghi was re-arrested on December 09, 2009 after the mass protests of Ahura, and later was released on March 6, 2010.

Arash Sadeghi was sentenced by Branches 28 and 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to three and six years respectively.

The Court of Appeals overturned the 3 years sentence and exonerated him of all charges in that case. The six year sentence was also overturned by the Appeals Court and was changed to 1 year in prison and four years suspended sentence.

This student activist was released after serving eighteen months in prison despite the fact that he was only sentenced to one year in prison by court.

Arash was again arrested last winter while visiting the grave site of his mother with his grandparents. Arash’s mother suffered a heart attack due to the stress and shock of her home being raided by the security forces.

Following is a translation of Hossein Ronaghi’s letter to Arash Sadeghi as published by the Kalameh site:

O gentle breeze, I don’t have the way to my beloved’s house
You are going there, go with health and give my regards

Dear Arash,

The moment my parents told me that you have gone on a hunger strike in support of your friend, I felt both joy and sorrow. I was joyful to have you ever so strong and steadfast by my side and sorrowful that despite your dire health you have launched a hunger strike.

You know well that your steadfastness, your patience, your aptitude, your honesty and your gentle soul are not things that I will ever forget.

My dear brother,

I know after you were arrested by IRGC’s Intelligence on July 9, 2009 and sent to Eshrat Abad detention center, what they did to you and what tortures you endured.

I know you were arrested after Ashura (mass protests of Dec 2009), what Yazids (Ommiad caliph, by whose order Imam Hossein, son of Imam Ali, was martyred) tormented you. Your afflicted injured body and your blackened eyes were the manifestations of this Karbela event (site of the martyrdom of Emam Hosein).

I know that today, you are standing tall in the tyrants’ solitary confinement, enduring all the tortures and hardships. But, you do not accept this humiliation; you hold your head up high and will not bend against tyranny so that we all can learn from you the true meaning of freedom and steadfastness.

I do not know the pain of losing a mother as a result of a viscious raid by the puppeteers of despotism, but you know it very well and you understand this pain and anguish.

My steadfast comrade,

We are in an era who’s humanity values have been totally destroyed and replaced by non-human values. An era in which the freedom seekers and their values are under attack by the oppressors.

We must remove obscurities and darkness, and replace it with luminosity, with our patience, steadfastness and perseverance. We must remove injustice and establish justice.

We both know that before this brotherhood that we have, your steadfastness and your free-mindedness were evident to me.

For this reason, I ask that you put and end to your hunger strike. This is the request of your comrade and your friend. I hope that you ultimately reach this same conclusion my dear friend.

I pray that these assailants against the light know that, “Sometimes, flames from a sigh’s wrath can be destructive, and sometimes a lament can break the back of an army”
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Source: Kalameh