PUBLIC
AI Index: MDE 13/057/2005
14 September 2005

Further Information on UA 181/03 (MDE 13/015/2003, 20 June 2003)
and follow-ups (MDE 13/021/2003, 15 July 2003; MDE 13/020/2004, 26 March 2004; MDE 13/040/2005, 27 July 2005)

Torture and ill-treatment/ Fear for safety/ Medical concern

IRAN

Manuchehr Mohammadi (m), aged 37, political prisoner

Manuchehr Mohammadi has been granted temporary medical leave from prison in order to receive hospital treatment for his gingivitis (gum disease), and problems with his kidneys and digestive system. It is not known how long his temporary leave is for.

At the beginning of September, Manuchehr Mohammadi ended his hunger strike, which he began on 6 July in protest at the refusal of the prison authorities to grant him leave from prison in order to receive medical treatment. In the course of his hunger strike, he reportedly fell into a coma. During his hunger strike his family were only permitted to visit him once, on 20 July.

Manuchehr Mohammadi has suffered serious health problems in prison, some reportedly caused by torture and ill-treatment, and the conditions in which he has been held. He suffers from gingivitis, which causes chronic, severe bleeding from the gums, and causes him pain when he eats or speaks. In April 2005, a prison doctor reportedly told him that the gingivitis had advanced to the point that, in order to cure it, he would need to have all his teeth removed and dentures fitted.

Accused of having a leading role in the July 1999 student-led protests, Manuchehr Mohammadi was charged with offences reportedly relating to national security, and following an unfair trial was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment, which was later reduced on appeal to seven years. At the end of November 2003, Manuchehr Mohammadi’s seven year prison sentence was extended by two years: one year for having given interviews to foreign media while on leave from prison and another for issuing ‘political statements’ while in prison.

Manuchehr Mohammadi's brother, Akbar Mohammadi, is still receiving medical treatment, having been granted extended medical leave in July 2004.

No further action is required from the UA network at present. Many thanks to all who sent appeals on behalf of Manuchehr Mohammadi. Amnesty International will continue to monitor his case, and will take further action as necessary.

Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat,
1 Easton Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom