Iran Green Voice: Imprisoned Iranian journalist Issa Saharkhiz, who was in hospital for six months, was returned to the Intelligence Ministry's Ward 209 at Evin Prison on August 29. The transfer was against orders of his doctors who have stated that Saharkhiz is not able to endure his prison sentence. To protest the transfer and the illegal steps pertaining to his judicial case, Saharkhiz started a hunger strike immediately upon entering Evin Prison. Today he also started refusing his medicine.
Saharkhiz's attending physicians have reflected in his medical files that during his recent hospital stay, he has "lost his physical balance" several times due to kidney problems. This is a condition he also suffered at Rajaee Shahr Prison, where prison doctors stated they could not take responsibility for his dangerous state and requested his transfer to a hospital outside.
Issa Saharkhiz suffers from a heart condition and doctors have emphatically deemed stress and anxiety as dangerous for his conditions.
On July 3, 2009, Saharkhiz, a columnist for the reformist news websites Rooz Online and Norooz and a founding member of the Association of Iranian Journalists, was arrested while traveling in northern Iran, the association said in a statement. His lawyer said his client was charged with “participation in riots,” “encouraging others to participate in riots,” and “insulting the supreme leader,” according to Rooz Online.
Saharkhiz was sentenced to three years in prison, a five-year ban on political and journalistic activities, and a one-year ban on foreign travel in September 2010. On 4 August 2011, Saharkhiz was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for what the court vaguely called "his prior journalistic activities," increasing his prison sentence to five years.
Saharkhiz has had a long career in journalism. He worked for 15 years for IRNA, Iran’s official news agency, and ran its New York office for part of that time. He returned to Iran in 1997 to work in Mohammad Khatami’s Ministry of Islamic Guidance, in charge of domestic publications. Journalist Ahmad Bourghani and Saharkhiz came to be known as the architects of a period of relative freedom for the press in Iran. But as the regime took a more conservative bent, Saharkhiz was forced to leave the ministry and was eventually banned from government service. He founded a reformist newspaper, Akhbar-e-Eghtesad, and monthly magazine, Aftab, both of which were eventually banned. He wrote articles directly critical of Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
Recently by Ghormeh Sabzi | Comments | Date |
---|---|---|
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | 5 | Dec 02, 2012 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 2 | Dec 01, 2012 |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | 2 | Nov 30, 2012 |
Person | About | Day |
---|---|---|
نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
If one is shameless enough ....
by Bavafa on Tue Sep 04, 2012 08:47 PM PDTTo advocate "airtight sanction" and beat the drum of “starving Iranians” which include the very family of these brave bunch as a way of collective punishment, why do you guys think he would be human enough not to use these brave prisoners as a tool to spread his daily propaganda?
Needless to say these “prisoner of the day” ran for months and the only word from this propagandist was to come and mock a few he did not like. This is till a couple of months ago where he found a new opportunity to add to his two-blog-a-day of hate message. And I am curious to know how is it that his message gets posted just as the new prisoner of the day is published each day. Is that an automated script that post his hate message or other coordination between IC and Fred Inc. ?
I don't have any issues if IC has had any contracts with his Inc. but disclosing it would be an honorable and moral thing to do which will help the credibility of the IC.
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
Shameless propaganda!
by Arj on Tue Sep 04, 2012 06:17 PM PDTNot only the likes of Saharkhiz were among the very same people who were persecuted by the Pahlavi regime, imprisoned and tortured by Savak for advocating the same ideology they do now, but they are even at present time, as others have noted, being bashed and insulted by the same Pahlavi propagandists who dsimiss them as "vohush-e eslahtalab," while their deceased leaders (e.g. Bazargan) are constantly insulted by derogatory terms such as "Gij-Ali" among others!
Yet that doesn't keep these shameless propagandists from using the same people they constantly bash as the face of an ad campaign to sell their merchandise on the world wide web!
P.S. There must've been new directives from the HQs, hence sanitization of the routin propaganda rhetoric of "air/naval embargo," that would openly advocate war, to a less bellicose sounding slogan of "air/naval quarantine!"
The silent majority?
by Zendanian on Tue Sep 04, 2012 04:38 PM PDTIt looks as if a distinct majority of readers and writers on this site are strongly opposed to any instrumental, opportunistics use of Political Prisoners for sectarian goals and ends.
Yet we, mostly, remain silent (perhaps out of respect to Political Prisoners in Iran) and don't expose charlatans abusing our brave Political Prisoners (perhaps this thread is not the most approperiate space to discuss this issue at length), still can't stop asking: why don't we confront them as we ought to?
Excellent comment by Zendanian aziz. . Thank You.
by Soosan Khanoom on Tue Sep 04, 2012 03:30 PM PDT..
Iraj khan and Mammad you're not the only ones feeling that way.
by Zendanian on Tue Sep 04, 2012 03:25 PM PDTMehrdad also feels the same, not to mention your humble servant, myself.
The extent to which these shameless advocates of sanctions and war will go to in "pushing" their "politics" is truly unbelivable, not to mention disgusting.
We all know that no political prisoner in Iran is in favour of sanctions or war, yet these same brave political prisoners are used as instruments to promote policies that all political prisoners in Iran strongly oppose.
The most ridiculous part of this daily diarrhea we're all treated to in here from these shameless "literary" thugs for hire is their notion of "Regime change." What they forget is that, thanks to this exact same "regime change" policy of Western powers we now have two Islamic Republics (not one, but two) on either side of Iran: Islamic Republic of Iraq, and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Why should this same "policy" be any different is Iran, is a question they NEVER have a reply for. Because they know what the answer is.
I should also add dear Mammad that the fools on this site
by Soosan Khanoom on Tue Sep 04, 2012 03:23 PM PDTare also known as ' Sarbaazaan-e Imam Fred ' or should I say ' Rabbi Fred '
Just equally ignorant as the IRI's Basijis ..
lol
WOW ... Well said Mammad ... Well said.
by Soosan Khanoom on Tue Sep 04, 2012 03:18 PM PDTNow be prepare fpr some keyboards being thrown at you. Should that happen just ignore the fools.
Thanks again for your well put comment.
mammad,
by iraj khan on Tue Sep 04, 2012 02:37 PM PDTWelcome back!
What a timely comment by you when you say:
"So, stick with your own "heros," Ariel Sharon, Hosni Mubarak, Reza Pahlavi, and Benjamine Netanyahu. Saharkhiz, I am certain, despises you advocating war for his "sake."
But, then again, you are so shameless, arrogant, and ignorant, in addition to being an agent of the fascist faction of Israel's politics, that anything other than your nonsense is too much to expected"
The presence of Lobby on this daily thread is the reason why I don't usually leave a message here.
Iraj
Stick with your own "heros," AH
by Mammad on Tue Sep 04, 2012 02:17 PM PDTEisa Saharkhiz is a melli-Mazhabi - the same MMs that you constantly attack.
Eisa Saharkhiz believes in Dr. Ali Shariari - the same Shariati that you attack all the time.
Eisa Saharkhiz is a practicing Muslim - the same type of Muslim that you constantly attack (moslemin-e eslaahtalab).
Eisa Saharkhiz believes in peaceful change done by Iranians inside Iran - unlike you who advocate physical war (quarantine) and economical war (sanctions) against Iran and Iranians.
//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...
So, stick with your own "heros," Ariel Sharon, Hosni Mubarak, Reza Pahlavi, and Benjamine Netanyahu. Saharkhiz, I am certain, despises you advocating war for his "sake."
But, then again, you are so shameless, arrogant, and ignorant, in addition to being an agent of the fascist faction of Israel's politics, that anything other than your nonsense is too much to expectat.
Mammad
P.S.: Feel free to throw up your typical insinuation, innuendoes, and baseless claims. I'll not come back to this thread!
مُلکِ ایران زنده از فریادِ توست
daneshjooTue Sep 04, 2012 08:32 AM PDT
Daneshjoo
درود
بی پایان بر همه زندنیان سیاسی
زندانیان
سیاسی محبوبترین مبارزان ایرانند. بی تردید ما آنها را دوست می داریم، محترم
می شماریم و فداکاریشان را اساسی و گرامی می دانیم. ابرازسپاسمان، به شکلهای
گوناگون، بر امید آنها، تعداد مبارزان و همگامی همگانی خواهد افزود. درود بی پایان بر آنها و پاینده ایران
مُلکِ ایران زنده از فریادِ توست
//iranian.com/main/blog/daneshjoo-65
درود بر تمام زندانیان سیاسی
BavafaTue Sep 04, 2012 07:44 AM PDT
ننگ بر آنانیکه از این زندانیان شجاع برای هدف شخصی خود سؤ استفاده میکنند
Iranians of all walks of life taking a stand for their freedom and just rights. They are to be commanded and supported by all freedom loving folks.
Iranians need to stand united in their support for these brave souls, support their goals and aspiration for a free independent and prospers Iran.
Foreign nations which thru their apartheid policy practice the same insanity and unjust detentions cannot be a good example for the future of Iran and need not to apply.
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
Regime change for Issa's sake
by Fred on Tue Sep 04, 2012 06:57 AM PDTRegime change is the only way to end 34 years of gross violation of human rights by the reform-proof Messianic Islamist Rapists.
Backbreaking airtight sanctions plus air/naval quarantine is a must.