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Ukrainian/Uzbek] Thursday, September 7, 2006 [[e-mail_this_page_to_a_friend]]
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Iran: Second Political Prisoner Dies In Five-Week Span By_Golnaz_Esfandiari
[Iran -- map] (RFE/RL) Iran has confirmed the death of prisoner Valiollah Feyz
Mahdavi, who was a sympathizer of Iran's main opposition group, the Mujahedin
Khalq Organization (MEK). The Iranian Labor News Agency reported on September 6
that judiciary officials have said that the 28-year-old Mahdavi died in
hospital after a suicide attempt. But activists reject that claim and say he
died after falling ill during a hunger strike. Mahdavi is the second political
prisoner to die in Iran in recent weeks. Human Rights Watch said that his death
shows that that political prisoners' are in grave danger in Iran. PRAGUE,
September 7, 2006 (RFE/RL) - - Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi death comes only five
weeks after the death in custody of student activist Akbar Mohammadi. Both men
had reportedly gone on a hunger strike to protest against prison conditions. In
the case of Mahdavi, Iranian officials have denied reports that he was on a
hunger strike. The deaths of Mahdavi and Mohammadi have heightened concern over
the fate of other prisoners who are held in Iran for their political beliefs.
No Faith In Official Line But there is little trust in Iranian official's
comments about prisoners. Officials usually provide very little information
about the fate of prisoners and often deny reports about their protests in
prison. Some Iranian officials even deny the existence of political prisoners
in Iran. Reed Brody, a legal counselor with Human Rights Watch (HRW), tells
RFE/RL that his organization doesn't believe Related Articles what the Iranian
officials are saying Iran:_Iran's_Drug_Problem_Goes_Beyond about Mahdavi's
death. Afghan_Deluge "Unfortunately the Iranian prison
HRW_Says_Iranian_Political_Prisoner officials have often given out false
Dies_In_Custody information about political prisoners,"
Discussions_Ongoing_For_Iran-EU_Nuclear he said. "We know that Mahdavi was on
Talks hunger strike -- we were told by other
Watchdog_Warns_Of_'Judicial_Harassment' inmates that prison officials had
Of_Iranian_Journalists repeatedly ignored his health condition until it reached
a critical stage." Iran's Drug Problem Mahdavi's lawyer, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah,
also questions the official version of Mahdavi's death in an interview with Â
DRUG USE ON THE RISE: The Iranian Radio Farda. approach to drug control is very
Two Versions Of His Death relevant to the rest of the world, "Some officials
have said that because Iran's neighbor, Afghanistan, [Mahdavi] committed
suicide; this is is the world's leading producer of unlikely," he said. "First
of all, opium. Iran leads the international because he was not the type of
person community in global opium seizure rates who would commit suicide.
Secondly, in and it is second to Pakistan in opiate prison its not easy to
commit suicide seizures, according to the UN Office on and it should be
announced [if anyone] Drugs and Crime. Iran also leads the witnessed the
suicide. I think he lost world in the prevalence of drug abuse his life because
of a lack of medical (2.8 percent of the population aged 15 care." or older),
according to the UNODC. Prisoners detained with Mahdavi in (more) Gohardasht
Prison in the city of Karaj See also: have also rejected official claims that
Iran:_Country's_Drug_Problems_Appear_To Mahdavi tried to hang himself with his
Be_Worsening clothes. New_Ways_Considered_For_Tackling They have said that
Mahdavi was on a Growing_Drug_Use_Among_Young_Iranians hunger strike for nine
days when he fell unconscious. They add that Mahdavi SUBSCRIBE: For weekly news
and analysis was almost dead when he was transferred on Iran by e-mail,
subscribe_to_"RFE/RL to the prison clinic. Iran_Report." In recent days there
have been reports More About Iran: that some prisoners were being [September 7,
2006] Iran's_Drug_Problem pressured to declare on tape that they
Goes_Beyond_Afghan_Deluge witnessed Mahdavi's suicide. [September 4, 2006]
Growing_Concern Sohrab Soleimani, the head of the
Over_Fate_Of_Political_Prisoner prison organization in Tehran, said on
[September 1, 2006] U.S._Official_Urges September 4 that Mahdavi tried to
Tehran_To_Take_Incentives_Package commit suicide in the a prison bathroom
[September 1, 2006] Intellectual on September 3. He added that he was
Emerges_From_Jail_To_Accuse_U.S. revived at the prison clinic and then
[September 1, 2006] Nuclear_Crisis sent to Tehran's Shariati Hospital for
Likely_To_Dominate_Annan's_Visit further treatment. [September 1, 2006] Ex-
President's_U.S. Gohardasht prisoners said a day earlier
Visit_Unlikely_To_Produce_Thaw that a prison worker had told them that
archive_news_on_Iran Mahdavi is "brain dead." Other News Independent
Investigation Called For U.S.:_Rogue_Threats_Justify_Missile A newly created
group, Human Rights Defense Activists In Iran, was one of the first
World_Powers_Will_Meet_In_London_To to inform people about Mahdavi's
Discuss_Iran critical condition. It said it holds
Thousands_Of_Afghans_Rally_In_Support the Iranian government responsible for
Of_Amnesty_Bill his death. U.S._Soldier_Sentenced_In_Rape,_Murder Human Rights
Watch says the Iranian Of_Iraqi_Girl government should urgently appoint an
U.S._Vice_President_Visits_Australia independent commission of Iranian [/
images/homepage/ lawyers and doctors to investigate the three_dots_orange.gif]
1 of 2 next [/ deaths of Mahdavi and Mohammadi. images/homepage/
three_dots_orange.gif] HRW counselor Brody added that, "The Iranian officials
obviously don't want the truth to come out; just a few weeks ago on July 30
Akbar Mohammadi, who was also in prison, died under very suspicious
circumstances. We believe it's important to generate international pressure so
that there can be an independent investigation into the death of prisoners
under suspicious circumstances." Iranian officials have ignored that and
numerous other calls for an independent investigation into Mohammadi's death in
Tehran's notorious Evin prison. More than one month after Mohammadi's death,
authorities have also failed to announce the result of an official autopsy.
Worry About Others The HRW's Brody says the deaths of the two men highlights
the plight of political prisoners in Iran. "This has been a cause for concern
for a long time and both these prisoners who died were on a hunger strike
protesting their conditions," Brody said. "Many of these prisoners have not had
access to their lawyers and there needs to be clear oversight of the prison
conditions." Mahdavi was arrested in 2001 and charged with armed resistance
against the state. Iranian officials said he was carrying explosives at the
time of his arrest. He was sentenced to death but it was later commuted to life
imprisonment. The deaths of Mahdavi and Mohammadi have heightened concern over
the fate of other prisoners who are held in Iran for their political beliefs.
HRW has singled out Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, a human rights defender and
former reformist legislator, who has been in detention since June 12. Khoini is
reportedly held in solitary confinement in Evin prison and has no access to his
lawyer. top homepage features archive_news_on Iran [[_rfe/rl_logo_]] Radio Free
Europe / Radio Liberty (c) 2007 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact us:
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