Hunger strike by Koushan Pirzadeh

Koushan (Khaled) Pirzadeh, a monarchist political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike. His protest is directed at the chaotic conditions inside the political ward and the authorities’ refusal to address even the prisoners’ most basic needs.

Mr. Pirzadeh’s three main demands:

Separation of armed Iraqi prisoners from political inmates:

According to Pirzadeh, security officials have placed several Iraqi inmates with violent criminal records into the political ward. These individuals openly consume and distribute drugs like meth and crack and are often armed with knives. Their repeated threats have put Iranian political prisoners in serious danger.

Improvement of prison food conditions:

Mr. Pirzadeh has condemned the extremely poor quality and small portions of prison food, saying it is neither sanitary nor sufficient for the prisoners’ daily needs. He also pointed to the outrageous prices in the prison commissary, which, given the prisoners’ lack of income, makes obtaining basic necessities nearly impossible.

Return of confiscated belongings:

Mr. Pirzadeh is demanding that personal items—such as his ring and necklace, which were seized at the time of his arrest—be returned to his family.

Mr. Pirzadeh’s message to the people of Iran:

“We are the victims of silence.”