International campaign for immediate release of prisoner of conscience Soheil Arabi on Hunger Strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison

August 20, 2019

Date: October 10, 2017 No: 2072-17

His Excellency António Guterres Secretary General of United Nations The United Nations
New York, NY 10017

Re: International campaign for immediate release of prisoner of conscience Soheil Arabi on Hunger Strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Your Excellency,

It is with utmost urgency that the Iran National Council for Free Elections appeals to the international community to prevent the loss of Soheil Arabi who has started his hunger strike in Evin Prison to protest the harassment of his family by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and to facilitate his immediate release.

Soheil Arabi, a young Iranian blogger activist, has been initially arrested in November 2013 by the IRGC’s Sarallah Headquarters, and subsequently placed in solitary confinement for posting messages on social media. Soheil Arabi has been sentenced to death under the pretends of ‘insults to the prophet’, and has been charged with ‘corruption on earth’ by the Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati. According to Farangis Mazloum, his only crime was to express his opinion.

IRGC did not just to abuse him in prison, they arrested also his wife, Nasrin Naimi, on the morning of Monday, July 31. Soheil Arabi has started his hunger strike in prison to protest the harassment against his wife. “I have forgiven all the injustices against myself but I can never stay silent in the face of your constant and unjust harassment against my family” His letter from prison on August 24. He is resuming his hunger strike after discovering that the IRGC was continuing to harass his wife and relatives. On September 23, he began a dry hunger strike, and has not had any water or other fluids. He has been suffering from bleeding in his stomach and has extremely low blood sugar and blood pressure and his health is quickly deteriorating.

It is with a great sense of urgency that the Iran National Council for Free Elections appeals to your high office to support Soheil Arabi and his family, through an immediate and firm diplomatic response to ensure his immediate and unconditional release.

We sincerely thank you for your assistance and consideration to this urgent humanitarian matter. Very truly yours,

Nazila Golestan