Motalleb Ahmadian, a Kurdish political prisoner currently serving the 13th year of a 30-year sentence at Tehran’s Evin Prison, is facing severe health challenges, including a diaphragmatic hernia and duodenal disease.
Despite his deteriorating condition and weight loss of 12 kilos over the past two months, the authorities have failed to provide Ahmadian with appropriate medical attention or allow his transfer to an outside medical facility.
An informed source who spoke to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) said: “The political prisoner was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to Ward 8, Block 10 of Evin Prison along with eight other political prisoners one month ago. He is in a critical physical condition and has lost weight to less than 35 kilograms due to severe vomiting with blood over the past few months”.
The source said that Ahmadian is struggling with a diaphragmatic hernia, duodenal gland problems and spinal canal stenosis.
The source added that Evin Prison officials recently informed Ahmadian that he would be transferred to an outside medical facility for surgery and immediately returned to prison if he covered the expenses.
However, medical experts have indicated that his recovery could take more than six months, making his recovery in prison a dangerous endeavour due to the overcrowded prison population and limited health resources.
Ahmadian’s health problems began years ago with orchitis, a testicular infection. In December 2022, he underwent testicular surgery at an outside medical facility, but returned to Rajai Shahr Prison without completing his post-operative recovery.
In a letter dated January 2020, Ahmadian had already expressed his dire health situation, blaming the lack of timely medical care for his deteriorating condition.
He highlighted an infection in his testicles and the fracture of three of his vertebrae as a result of torture during his detention.
The political prisoner complained that, despite regulations stating that the prison authorities are responsible for covering the costs of medical care and medication for prisoners, he had paid for all his medical expenses, including the operation. Due to financial constraints, he was forced to forgo further treatment.
Ahmadian, 38, was arrested on 5 October 2010 in Baneh, Kurdistan Province.
After eight months of detention in security centres in Sanandaj, Saqqez, and Sardasht, during which he was subjected to solitary confinement and physical torture, he was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment and exile in Minab Prison on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) through “membership” of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
Ahmadian was also sentenced to one year in prison and payment of a cash fine of one million rials – nearly 20 USD – on charges of “unauthorised travel beyond the country’s borders”.
In addition, he was sentenced sentenced in two separate cases to one year in prison and a cash fine of one million rials for “unauthorised travel outside the country’s borders”, and to nine years in prison, payment of half of the full-blood money and a cash fine of 200 million rials – nearly 4,000 USD – for “participation in murder”.
Since his arrest, Ahmadian has been held in Saqqez, Sanandaj, Rajai Shahr, and Evin prisons.
