Kurdish political prisoner Keyvan Rashozadeh was transferred last week from the safe ward to the labour ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison.

On 13 June, the political prisoner was transferred to a safe ward after he had announced a hunger strike by sewing his lips in protest against the opposition of the prison authorities to his leave request.

Rashozdeh has reportedly ended his strike after prison authorities promised to follow up on his request.

Labour Ward in Orumiyeh Central Prison

The labour ward lacks welfare and health facilities and is located separately from other wards in the central courtyard of the prison.

The ward is often where prisoners of drug-related crimes are kept.

Prisoners kept in this ward are usually sent on leave for two days every week.

The capacity of the ward, which is about 150 people, has been increased to 400 people.

All service and maintenance work, such as cooking and repairing equipment and construction works, etc., are also entrusted to the prisoners kept in the ward.

Background

On 8 October 2019, security forces arrested Rashozadeh along with four other civilians named Omid Saeidi, Kamran Ghasemi, Nayeb (Massoud) Hajipour, and Abdolaziz Golmohammadi.

After a month of interrogation in the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence in Orumiyeh, these civilians were transferred to the youth ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison.

In December 2020, after a year of uncertainty in prison, Branch 2 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh sentenced them to 10 years and one day in prison, each.

It charged the civilians with “acting against national security” through membership in the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

The sentence was then commuted to seven years and six months imprisonment.

In December 2020, Rashozadeh, Ghassemi, and Saeidi went on a hunger strike for a week to protest against the uncertainty about their situation, the pressure of the intelligence ministry and the non-compliance of the prison authorities with the principle of segregation of crimes in the youth ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison.