The hunger strike by approximately 1,500 death row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison entered its fifteenth day on Monday. Reports and videos released from inside the prison indicate the deteriorating physical condition of a number of the strikers, as well as the continued inattention of officials from Iran’s judiciary and prison authorities to their health and demands.
Deteriorating Health Conditions and Continued Inaction by Iranian Regime Officials
The prisoners’ hunger strike, which began in protest against the continued implementation of death sentences, has continued despite more than two weeks having passed. According to the prisoners, no effective action has been taken so far to address either their demands or the physical condition of the hunger strikers.
Collective Hunger Strike at Ghezel Hesar Prison Calls for Halt to Executions
In one of the videos released from inside Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison, a prisoner says that despite 15 days of hunger strike, none of the officials from Iran’s Judiciary or prison administrators have visited the ward to assess the condition of the strikers.
Informed sources have also reported worsening physical problems among many of the prisoners. Severe weakness, low blood pressure, weight loss, fatigue, dizziness, and reduced physical strength are among the reported symptoms. Some of the hunger strikers have largely lost the ability to carry out their daily activities due to the prolonged strike.
According to these sources, despite the prisoners’ deteriorating health, no independent medical team has been sent to examine them. Prison authorities and the prison infirmary have also failed to take effective action to address the condition of the hunger strikers. The prisoners have warned that the continuation of this situation could place the health and lives of many of them at serious risk.
Hunger Strike in Protest to Executions; Concerns Raised by Families and Human Rights Organizations
The hunger strike by prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison began in protest against the continued implementation of death sentences and the transfer of death row prisoners to solitary confinement for execution. The protest initially started in Unit 2 and later expanded through prisoner sit-ins, the publication of protest messages, the display of the slogan “No to Executions,” and even the sewing shut of the lips of several prisoners—an action that received widespread coverage in the media and among human rights activists.
Videos released from inside the prison show that the prisoners continue to insist on maintaining their hunger strike until their demands are met. At the same time, the prisoners’ families and human rights organizations have expressed concern over the health of the hunger strikers and warned that continuing the strike without access to adequate medical care could have irreversible consequences. The prisoners have also stressed that the purpose of their action is to protest the continued implementation of death sentences and to demand fair judicial review of the cases of those sentenced to death.
