Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Hajizadeh is in critical condition in Orumiyeh Central Prison in West Azerbaijan province due to not having access to medical services.

Hajizadeh was transferred from the ward for prisoners of conscience to the ward for prison labour about two months ago.

In June, he was transferred to an out-of-prison hospital for platinum surgery but was returned to prison without completing his treatment.

After a while, his leg became severely infected. Also, he suffered an internal rupture of the abdomen due to carrying a heavy load during work in the past few weeks.

The political prisoner was transferred to Arefian Hospital in Orumiyeh last week but has been returned to prison without any medical treatment.

Despite the advice of prison infirmary doctors and the issuance of a permit for his immediate transfer to an out-of-prison hospital, prison officials have so far taken no action.

Background

Security forces had arrested Nayeb Hajizadeh on 8 October 2019, along with four other civilians Kamran Ghasemi, Keyvan Rashozadeh, Omid Saeidi, and Abdolaziz Mohammadpour. They were taken to the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence in Orumiyeh.

After a month of interrogation in the detention centre of the intelligence ministry, these civilians were transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison.

Their trial was held in December 2020 in Branch 2 of the Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court. Each was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison on charges of “acting against national security” through “membership in the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan”.

In August, Hajizadeh and two other Kurdish political prisoners, Keyhan Mokarram and Nayeb Askari, were sentenced to 50 lashes and three months in prison after the head of Orumiyeh Central Prison filed a complaint, accusing the prisoners of “disrupting the prison order”.

The lawsuit was filed after a general crimes prisoner beat a Kurdish political prisoner.