By Hamid Yazdan Panah
There is growing concern about the fate of a little known Iranian political prisoner, Alireza Golipour. According to reports obtained by the Society of Iranian Political prisoners, the life of political prisoner Golipour remains in grave danger, based on the cruel conditions in which he is confined and his deteriorating medical condition.
Golipour, who is currently incarcerated in Evin prison, was arrested based on charges of aiding dissidents and protesters following the 2009 protests in Iran. Golipour was arrested initially 2012, but has yet to receive a formal sentence in regards to his alleged charges.
It is also believed that Golipour was investigated for exposing governmental corruption, including uncovering evidence implicating the head of the Intelligence Ministry, Seyed Mahmoud Alavi. The fact that Golipour was exposing the corruption of the regime’s officials provides ample basis to understand why he would face torture and mistreatment while imprisoned in the notorious Evin prison.
Golipour has reportedly been tortured and now is in a critical condition. He suffers from cardiac problems, internal bleeding, and recently was found to have a tumor on his lungs, which further complicated his health problems.
According to reports from inside Evin prison, Golipour is on hunger strike to protest his mistreatment. There are ongoing concerns that the negligence in regards to his medical treatment is calculated effort to end his life. Another cause for concern in this case is the fact that judicial authorities have reportedly claimed that his dossier disappeared from revolutionary court 91, and its whereabouts are unknown.
The case of Alireza Golipour is illustrative of the ways in which the Iranian regime treats dissidents, activists, and those who dare to expose the corruption within the government. This case is particularly important as the UN General Assembly is set to vote on Resolution A/C.3/70/L.4 focused on the promotion and protection of human rights in Iran.
The international community must do all it can to bring attention to the case of Alireza Golipour and hundreds of other political prisoners like him who face torture and the denial of proper medical care in Iran.
Hamid Yazdan Panah is an Iranian-American human rights activist and attorney focused on immigration and asylum in the San Francisco Bay Area.
