Iran’s criminal justice system is notorious for imprisoning people
merely for peacefully exercising their human rights. However, the legal
framework relating to the rights of prisoners guarantees, in theory that they
should at least benefit from adequate medical care. Iran’s prison regulations
require the prison administration to provide prisoners with regular medical
check-ups, and ensure that their medical needs are addressed. They also provide
that prisoners may be granted medical leave or transferred to treatment centres
outside prison when the care they need is not available in prison. Iran’s Code
of Criminal Procedure further authorizes judges to postpone the implementation
of a prison sentence when imprisonment would exacerbate the illness of the prisoner,
or to issue an alternative sentence if the individual is deemed too ill to
serve.
The reality in Iran’s prisons is, however, very different. Amnesty
International’s research shows that, in general, the prison regulations are
flouted in practice and, in particular, political prisoners, including
prisoners of conscience, are denied adequate medical care – a key human right
which under international law and standards must not be adversely affected by
imprisonment.
The 17 individual cases highlighted in this report, which present
only a snapshot of the shocking cruelty suffered by political prisoners who
have health problems, demonstrate that the denial of adequate medical care is
generally not due to lack of resources. Neither have the Iranian authorities
made this claim. Rather, there is strong evidence, in all the cases, that the
denial is a deliberate act by the judiciary, in particular the prosecution
authorities, and/or the prison administration.
SAYED HOSSEIN KAZEMEYNI BOROUJERDI
Prisoner of conscience Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi, a
dissident cleric serving an 11-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison for
peacefully expressing his religious beliefs, has serious medical conditions,
including heart, kidney and respiratory problems, osteoporosis (a disease in
which the bones become porous and liable to fracture), and loss of vision. He
has also been complaining of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease,
including muscle cramp, pain and limping, but he has not received any
diagnostic tests.
Over the course of his decade-long imprisonment, the Special
Prosecution Office for the Clergy has repeatedly blocked his request to access
specialized medical care outside prison, apparently setting “repentance” as a
precondition for allowing him potentially life-saving treatment. As a result,
his health has progressively deteriorated.
Amnesty International understands that the prison authorities have
also, on many occasions, refused to give him the heart medication, painkillers
and vitamins that his family had brought in for him.
On 19 January 2016, Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi was taken to
the prison clinic as he was suffering from recurring stomach pain, nausea,
vomiting and dizziness. It appears, however, that prison officials returned him
to his cell the same day without providing him with adequate medical care. The
next day he fell down a flight of stairs, hurting his abdomen and legs. It is
feared that no treatment was provided for his injuries.
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