NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) — A prominent reformist detained in Iran for more than two weeks should be transferred to a medical facility or released to his family, a humanitarian group says.
Human Rights Watch says harsh interrogation and inadequate medical care are threatening the life of Saeed Hajjarian, 55, who has been held without charge in Iran since June 15.
“It’s bad enough that the authorities would detain a man as ill as Saeed Hajjarian in their crackdown in the protests but the conditions, harsh treatment and intense pressure to make a false confession are putting his life at risk,” says Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director of the international rights organization.
Hajjarian became a leading strategist in Iran’s reformist movement in the 1990s.
An assassination attempt in 2000 left him in a wheelchair and in need of constant medical care due to severe brain and spinal cord injuries.
Hajjarian’s relatives, including his wife, were permitted to visit him briefly June 26 to dispel rumors that he had died in prison.
