His Excellency António Guterres
Secretary General of United Nations
The United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Re: Golrokh Iraee in Coma, at risk of death after prolonged hunger strike
Your Excellency,
N° 2088-18
April 5, 2018
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, imprisoned for writing an unpublished story in Iran. She has been on hunger strike since
February 3, protesting her unlawful transfer from Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison. The political prisoner, Golrokh Iraee,
currently in Qarchak Prison, has been in a coma since Tuesday night, April 3, 2018, the fifth day of her dry hunger
strike demanding to be transferred back to the Evin Prison. She has lost a lot of weight, more than 20 kilograms (44
pounds). Golrokh Iraee suffered a heart attack on day 10th of her hunger strike and 3rd day of the dry. She suffers
from kidney dysfunction and swelling of her legs Haji Moradi, the magistrate of executions branch of Evin Prison, has
announced that he will not transfer her back to Tehran’s Evin Prison even if she dies. She has reportedly been
transferred to un known location (a hospital) near Qarchak Prison. There has been no news of Ms. Iraee after her
hospitalization and her family’s inquiries have not been responded to.
On January 24th, Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee, imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran, were
summoned to court. They had been transferred to Section 2-A for interrogation. Atena and Golrokh have avoided
separate interrogations. Seven officers, including five men and two women, tried transferring them to another prison
but they refused and requested a transfer order. Golrokh and Atena, both political prisoners, were severely beaten
under Haji Moradi’s command. They were transferred to Qarchak prison in Varamin by four armed guards.
Iran National Council for Free Elections strongly denounces this egregious violation against Atena Daemi and Golrokh
Iraee, who have been imprisoned solely for their political views. We urged Iranian authorities to ensure that Golrokh
Iraee has access, as a matter of utmost priority, to specialized health care in a hospital outside prison, in compliance
with international human rights standards and common medical practices.
It is with a great sense of urgency that the Iran National Council for Free Elections appeals to your high office and the
international community to take urgent action to save the life of Golrokh Iraee, through an immediate and firm diplomatic
response to ensure her immediate and unconditional release.
We sincerely thank you for your assistance and consideration to this urgent humanitarian matter.
Very truly yours, ٔ
Nazila Golestan
Special Envoy for Human Rights Iran National Council for Free Elections
Conseil National Iranien pour les Elections Libres
115 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris,
France www.irannc.org
Political Prisoner, Arash Sadeghi in Critical Health is Deprived of Medical Treatment
Mr. Peter Maurer
President, International Committee of the Red Cross
19 Avenue de la paix
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Re: Political Prisoner, Arash Sadeghi in Critical Health is Deprived of Medical Treatment
Mr. President Maurer,
N° 2098-18
July 24, 2018
Iranian prisoner and human rights defender, Arash Sadeghi has been diagnosed with a bone tumor that may be
cancerous. He is critically ill, and the Iranian authorities are disregarding medical advice, on the orders of the
Revolutionary Guards, that recommends his immediate transfer to a facility specializing in cancer treatment.
As the guardian of the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) is an impartial,
neutral, and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of
victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance.
It is with utmost urgency that the Iran National Council for Free Elections appeals to your high office to take urgent
action to save the life of Arash Sadeghi through an immediate and firm intervention to ensure his immediate treatment,
In Iran, as you are fully aware and have reported accordingly, there is a silencing war against the public. Many Iranians
are frequently arrested merely for voicing their objections to everyday-life’s difficulties and/or violations of their most
basic human rights. According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report of 2017, the Iranian government continues to
strongly restrict free speech and dissent; authorities continue to arrest journalists, bloggers, and online media activists
for exercising their right of expression. Iranian dual-nationals and citizens returning from abroad have been targeted
for arbitrary arrests, interrogation and incarceration by security authorities. Upon arrest, citizens are often charged with
false and groundless allegations. Charges have included “Western agents,” “warring against Islam,” “conspiracy
against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” “enmity against God,” “insulting the Prophet,” and “insulting
government officials,” while in the infamous prisons of the Islamic Republic, prisoners face extremely cruel and
inhumane conditions including lack of adequate and timely medical care. As a last resort, said prisoners might attempt
to protest their confinement with the only means possible—a hunger strike—to acquire the attention of human rights
advocates and the international community.
As the ICRC is mandated to promote and act as guardian of international humanitarian law. This involves visiting
Iranian prisons, assessing detention conditions, protecting prisoners and preserving their lives, and restoring the dignity
of these individuals adversely affected by the kleptocratic regime in Iran.
Among the many thousands of political prisoners now rotting away, inmate Arash Sadeghi is isolated between the
prison walls from any external “intrusion” or the eyes of any “unauthorized” persons. He lost his mother,
Farahnaz Dargahi, in November 2009 – four days after she suffered a heart attack following the security agents raid of
her home. Arash Sadeghi went on hunger strike in October 2016 to protest against the imprisonment of his wife
____________________________________________________
Conseil National Iranien pour les Élections Libres
115 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France
www.irannc.org
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, also a human rights defender, for writing an unpublished story against the punishment of
stoning. Sadeghi’s hunger strike led to a public outcry which compelled the authorities to release Golrokh Ebrahimi
Iraee on temporary prison leave on January 2, 2010. However, she was immediately rearrested on January 22, 2010
to resume serving her sentence.
According to Amnesty International, Arash Sadeghi, human rights defender, aged 30, is suffering from worsening
digestive complications and respiratory problems since his 71st day of hunger strike due to the persistent refusal of
prosecution authorities to allow his hospitalization outside of Tehran’s Evin prison.
Iran National Council for Free Elections strongly denounces this egregious violation against Arash Sadeghi and Golrokh
Iraee, who have been imprisoned solely for their humanitarian views.
Based on the foregoing, we appeal to the international community to prevent the slow death of Arash Sadeghi in prison
through a firm and strong diplomatic response by forcing Tehran to allow the ICRC to visit the prisoners. We are
extremely concerned about the continuous wave of the declining health conditions of several prisoners of conscience.
We are fearful that these innocent men and women will not escape execution without an outcry from the Free World.
Their practices represent a threat not only to Iranian citizens, but also to the dignity of all people. The Iranian regime’s
discriminatory policies contradict the numerous international conventions to which Iran is a party. International laws
create both rights and duties for member states, and when a state consistently disregards its duties, it cannot expect
the rest of the international community to respect its rights.
We sincerely thank you for your assistance in, and consideration to, this urgent humanitarian matter.
Very truly yours,
Nazila Golestan
Special Envoy for Human Rights Iran National Council for Free Elections
____________________________________________________
Conseil National Iranien pour les Élections Libres
115 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France
www.irannc.org
CC:
His Excellency Emmanuel Macron,
The President of the French Republic
The Honorable Donald Trump
President of the United States of America
The Right Honorable Theresa May MP,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Her Excellency Chancellor, Angela Merkel
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
His Excellency Trudeau Justine,
Prime Minister of Canada
********************
His Excellency François Delattre
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
Her Excellency Nikki Haley
United States Ambassadors to the United Nations
His Excellency Matthew Rycroft
Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations
His Excellency François Christoph Heusgen
Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations
His Excellency Marc-André Blanchard
Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations
His Excellency Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein,
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Her Excellency Asma Jahangir,
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
********************
His Excellency António Guterres
Secretary General of United Nations
Mr. Javid Rehman,
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Ms. Delia Matilde Ferreira Rubio
The former president of Transparency International’s chapter in Argentina
Mr. Salil Shetty, Secretary,
Secretary General of the Amnesty International
____________________________________________________
Conseil National Iranien pour les Élections Libres
115 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France
www.irannc.org
