Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi Ended Their Hunger Strike

Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi Ended Their Hunger Strike.

Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, the lawyer of Ramin Hossein Panahi, confirmed the end of a hunger strike of him and his brother, Afshin Hossein Panahi. Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi began their hunger strike on Saturday January 27, after Ramin Hossein Panahi’s death sentence was issued and ended the protest after the appeal was registered.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, Ramin Hossein Panahi’s lawyer, announced the end of his client’s hunger strike, on Monday February 5.

Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi had announced their hunger strike when Ramin Hussein Panahi’s death sentence was issued on Saturday January 27. They have ended their hunger strike.

Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, lawyer of Ramin Hossein Panahi, in an interview with HRANA, explained about the latest status of these two detainees:

– Mr. Ahmadi Niaz, Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi have ended their hunger strike, is this news true?

– Yes, I had a meeting with Ramin yesterday, with his mother, me, as Ramin’s lawyer, and his brother. He announced that both brothers had stopped their hunger strike and thus broke the strike.

– What were the two brothers’ request that they had gone on hunger strike, and whether their demands were fulfilled?

– Ramin Hossein Panahi was worried about his situation and that is why he was on hunger strike, also he was worried about his mother, he was worried that his words would not be heard, but given the fact that I made an appeal and I hope that the Supreme Court will be fair to the matter, and we have that hope. This led Ramin to stop hunger strike and he is now in a good condition.

– Mr. Ahmadi Niaz, it has been reported that these two brothers were transferred to solitary confinement several days after the hunger strike started. What are the conditions now?

– These two brothers are now returned to the Quran Ward and are held there. Their situation is good and they have no problems in this regard.

We hope that Ramin Hossein Panahi has a fair trial. The point here is that there is a prisoner and a four-walls room, when he sees that the executives are of their own, the prosecutors are of their own, the court itself, the prison itself, the execution of sentences with themselves, now his only hope is the Supreme Court and the law that can make this unequal parity, equal.

We hope that the honorable judges of the Supreme Court will take important steps to save the client.

– Mr. Ahmadi Niaz, when will you submit the appeal for Ramin Hosein Panahi?

– I have already submitted it, and registered on 04/02/2018.

– How long will this process take?

– This is the administrative process which needs to be considered, the case should be referred to Tehran.

– Do you also know about the situation of Afshin Hossein Panahi?

– He is sentenced to eight years imprisonment, they are brothers, and both of them have been charge with membership in the Komala party and spreading propaganda for this party, and their sentences are in this regard. However, I am not exactly aware of Mr. Afshin Hossein Panahi’s case process.

The mother of these two prisoners hopes that they are subjected to Article 34 of the Constitution, fair and equitable trial for these people, also a number of elites and parliamentarians, lawyers and barristers, civil activists called on the head of the judiciary for a fair and free trial, and Islamic kindness for my clients.

When the accusation is “Baghi”, fighting with Islamic government, this great government, with this dignity, then it is really expecting that you should not deal with this innocent prisoner too harshly, prisoner who is himself and his tiny body and a four-wall room.

At the end, I emphasize that Ramin and Afshin Hossein Panahi are compassionate in society, they are concerned with their society and their people, they have never used a gun and do not deserve these heavy sentences, and I and these two prisoners believe these are unjust and unfair sentences and we expect a fair trial to be made.

We suspect that this charge has been raised with grudge against the clients.

It should be noted that Ramin Hossein Panahi was transferred to Sanandaj prison after serving more than 200 days of detention in the Revolutionary Guards intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence solitary confinements, on January 9 of this year.

HRANA had previously reported that he had been subjected to physical and psychological torture and ill-treatment during detention in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards intelligence detention centers.

Amjad Hossein Panahi, brother of Ramin Hossein Panahi, had told HRANA’s reporter: “One of Ramin’s kidney is severely infected, and he has got forgetfulness due the hits on his head in the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence detention. Now, he is not in a physically good condition.”

According to Hossein Panahi family member, Ramin Hossein Panahi was mistreated and tortured during interrogation, while this prisoner was wounded and in need of medical treatment throughout the arrest and all the time of his detention.

Amjad Hossein Panahi denied the connection between kidney infection and injuries caused by wounding during arrest, and emphasized that forgetfulness and kidney infection have occurred due to ill-treatment during the detention time.

On June 30, 2017, Amnesty International issued a statement and considered the arrest of five detainees after the recent conflict of Sanandaj as “arbitrary disappearance” and demanded that their destiny and their whereabouts to be known as well as clarity regarding the situation of Ramin Hossein Panahi who was wounded after the conflict in Sanandaj on June 30, 2017. The organization also urged Iranian authorities to promptly release the other people who were arrested solely on the basis of a family relationship with Ramin Hossein Panahi.

It should be recalled HRANA had reported previously that the IRGC forces had shot and arrested a political activist named Ramin Hussein Panahi near Sanandaj on June 22, 2017.

After the incident in Sanandaj on Friday, June 22, 2017, security forces arrested some of Ramin Hossein Panahi’s relatives, including Zibar, Ahmad and Afshin Hossein Panahi at his own house on the same day.

The last hearing on Ahmad, Zibar and Afshin Hossein Panahi was held at Branch 1 of Sanandaj Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Saeedi on October 25, 2017. At this hearing, Zibar and Ahmad Hossein Panahi were sentenced to 6 and 5 years imprisonment. Afshin Hossein Panahi, another defendant, was sentenced to eight and a half years imprisonment.

Earlier, Amjad Hossein Panahi, brother of Ramin and Afshin told HRANA’s reporter that all three had been accused of propaganda against the regime and cooperation with Kurdish opposition groups through participation in the celebration of New Year’s Eve.

Hana News Agency