Iran security forces round up prison protesters for second day

Iran Focus: Tehran, Jun. 15 – For the second consecutive day, Iran’s paramilitary police attacked protesters holding a vigil outside a notorious prison, arresting at least two dozen men and women. Two women were so badly beaten up by the baton-wielding policemen that they had to be taken to hospital. They were identified as Shiva Nazar-Ahari and Akram Eqbali. Iran Focus

Tehran, Jun. 15 – For the second consecutive day, Iran’s paramilitary police attacked protesters holding a vigil outside a notorious prison, arresting at least two dozen men and women.

Two women were so badly beaten up by the baton-wielding policemen that they had to be taken to hospital. They were identified as Shiva Nazar-Ahari and Akram Eqbali.

About 200 protesters gathered outside Evin Prison, northwest of the capital, in solidarity with political prisoners held in the jail. On June 10, political prisoners in Evin began a month-long hunger strike to protest against human rights violations and what they called the “sham elections” on June 17 to choose the country’s new president.

The prisoners called for a general boycott of the elections and invited political prisoners from elsewhere throughout the country to join them in the strike.

In today’s attack, policemen from a special anti-riot unit known for its brutality in dealing with anti-government protesters charged at prisoners’ families, students, lawyers and political activists and injured many of them. A minibus was filled with arrested protesters, who were taken away to an unknown location.