The hunger strike of Mehdi Khazali , Kasra Nouri , and Saleh Morady is approaching its 100th day.
Up to now all that the families of these prisoners have done, including all appeals to the judicial authorities , to save them, have come to nothing.
Moradi’s wife , by referring to her useless meeting with the prosecutor general of Fars province, has told Jaras : ” Today we met the prosecutor , but unfortunately come back empty handed .When I told him about the difficulties and the threat to our dear ones’ lives, his only reply was that this is beyond his authority and we would better refer to officials in Tehran. He simply didn’t notice us, while we were still talking, his cell-phone rang and then he just left the room! We know very well that this kind of behavior indicates nothing but a leak of personality and self-respect. We did go to Tehran, but even there no one answered our questions. As citizens of this country to whom should we appeal for our problems? “
She went on: ” I told prosecutor that, are not we living in an Islamic country ? Are not we Muslims? Is not eavesdropping a sin in our religion ? Then, why do you overhear all our phone calls? They have overheard all of my personal talk whit my sister. What kind of Islamic country is this in which security forces enter your home at midnight despite the presence of helpless women and girls, and frighten children? God knows I am telling the truth, a security agent entered my bedroom, stood on my bedding and when I asked him to go away, he just laughed and made fun of me. I told him if you claim that you are Muslim, are these Islamic acts? You enter the private sphere of the citizens without their leave, and then act like this?”
Mrs. Moradi also said: ” Last Saturday I visited my husband in a private setting, his conditions were dire, he had lost about 30 to 35 kg of his weight, he looks very weak and pale. It is now near 90 days that my husband and Mr. Nouri are on hunger strike and their physical conditions are terrible . They are losing their sight and hearing , all their bodily functions are disrupted . They both insist on continuing the strike and say we cannot close our eyes to the injustice suffered by our lawyers in the security ward of Evin Prison.”
Mrs. Yadollahi, the mother of Kasra Nouri, also added with sadness: ” after near 90 days of hunger strike, the threat to our dear ones’ lives is obvious. Any physician will tell you that after nearly three months of hunger strike, anyone’s condition would be dangerous and critical. Our appeals have led to nothing, we implore the medical community to explain these dangers to authorities, perhaps the latter will finally grasp that these prisoners are dying. We ask the international community and all human-rights organizations to be our voice and help us in matter. “
Kasra Nouri and Saleh Moradi are two Iranian Gonabadi Dervishes who in protest against the transference of their seven lawyers from ward 350 to ward 209 in Evin prison , have gone on hanger strike; they demand that Dervish’s lawyers and managers of Majzooban Noor website be returned to the public ward of Evin. Till now they have received no answers to their demands, and after near 3 months, the managers of Majzooban Noor website are still in solitary confinement at Ward 209. Mrs. Moradi says: ‘ They just keep telling us that we must not take part in interviews or inform the press. Every official we go to, tells us to avoid interviews for our own sake, they threaten that if we talk about the prisoners ‘ conditions, there will be no more visits and we will be transferred to Evin. We accepted all these conditions and for about a year and half did no interviews, but not only the situation didn’t change, but also they increased the pressure. We, all Dervishes believe in our path and are proud of our identity. Unlike these officials who do everything for money and have no honesty, we are proud that our husbands are Dervishes (ascetics) both inside and outside prison.”
Mrs. Moradi, emphasizing the responsibility of Information Ministry and judge Salavati in all the injustice suffered by her husband , says: ” During their dry hunger strike , both my husband and Mr. Nouri fainted several times and were taken to infirmary. Later , when Dervishes families and 22 other political prisoners in ward 350 implored them to end their dry strike, Mr.Moradi and Mr.Nouri, respecting their request, agreed and began their ordinary hunger strike. Right now their health is in danger, and if anything happens to them, the blame first of all falls on the ministry of information. All our troubles and pains are the work of this Ministry. They even said to the Dervishes lawyers that you must admit that these are not Gonabadi Dervishes , but on independent group with no relation to to Dervishes! See how shamless these people are! And finally judge Salavati is responsible for the impasse , because he is presiding over Tehran lawyers case, but he simply does nothing.”