Prison officers in Rajai Shahr Prison, in Iran’s northern Karaj province, have severely beaten a hunger-striking prisoner of conscience named Arkan Palani Jaff on 20 June.
Jaff has sewn his lips and has been on a dry hunger strike since 10 June, protesting against prison authorities’ refusal to release him on parole, send him on temporary leave, and provide medical treatment.
Prison officials also used force to open the prisoner’s sewn lips after beating him.
Jaff has experienced a 10kg weight loss and a drastic drop in blood pressure. He was said to be in critical condition.
The prisoner of conscience has reportedly been transferred from solitary confinement to the prison infirmary for the past few days. However, he refused the serum injection and was taken back to the cell.
Security forces arrested Jaff in Tehran on 2 May 2017. He was transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison after about three months of interrogation in Meydan-e Naft detention centre in Kermanshah, western Iran, and 209 Evin detention centre in Tehran.
Jaff is a Sunni civilian from Sarpol-e Sahab in Kermanshah province.
Later, Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran – presided over by Judge Moghiseh – sentenced the civilian to seven years and six months in prison. It charged him with “acting against national security” by collaborating with the Islamic State (IS) group.
Recently, after the court had agreed to Jaff’s request for release in his fifth year of imprisonment, his family prepared several title deeds and applied to the Tehran court. However, each time the court refused to issue the documents required to evaluate the bail.
