A group of six prisoners sentenced to prison terms and fines for general crimes have gone on hunger strike in Orumiyeh Central Prison on 20 February, demanding their release within the scope of the announcement of a bill to reduce sentences.
The six prisoners Mahmoud Gavahi, Maraan Abd Mohammadpour, Orhan Kanani, Mohammad Hanifi, Yousef Jalali, and Dariush Beygzadeh, who are all being held in dormitories one and two of Orumiyeh Central Prison, have gathered in front of the guardian’s office to officially announce their hunger strike.
Two prisoners Mohammad Gavahi and Orhan Kanani are said to have completed their sentences of six and four years, but are still serving time in prison for failing to pay fines. The other four inmates have also served more than half of their sentences.
Spokesman of the judiciary Gholam Hossein Esmaeili had told state-run media in a press conference in July 2020 – after the bill was announced – that the law would be enforced. “The law that would reduce the punishment for many crimes, would reduce the criminal population. It has been announced that the cases of all prisoners who are subject to reduced sentences should be reviewed immediately and that these prisoners should be released from prison.”
