Amir Shahbazi, a 37-year-old prisoner sentenced to finger amputation, ended his life by taking pills in Orumiyeh Central Prison on 16 January. The delay in transferring Shahbazi to hospital played a crucial role in the loss of his life.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Shahbazi was moved to solitary confinement by the prison disciplinary council, citing the discovery of a mobile phone in his possession.
Notably, he had previously warned the prison authorities that he would take his own life if he was placed in solitary confinement. Despite guards discovering his suicide attempt at 02:00 local time, an urgent transfer to hospital was neglected, resulting in Shahbazi’s untimely death.
Arrested for theft in 2016, Shahbazi faced months of uncertainty in Orumiyeh Central Prison before the city’s criminal court sentenced him to amputation of four fingers on his right hand.
KHRN has learned that at least two other inmates at Bukan Prison have also taken their own lives by taking pills in recent months.
