Iran: Witness In Beheshti Case Reportedly On Hunger Strike
Iranian political prisoner Abolfazl Abedini, who is one of the chief witnesses in the case of Sattar Beheshti’s death in Evin Prison, is reportedly on a hunger strike.
The Kaleme opposition website reports that Abolfazl Abedini, the political prisoner who had been removed from Evin Prison in Tehran during the investigation into Beheshti’s death, was returned to Evin on Friday and is now being held in the quarantine section of the prison and is on a hunger strike.
Abedini has given testimony about the signs of torture he saw on the body of Sattar Beheshti, the 35-year-old blogger who was arrested on October 30 and died a week later in the custody of the cyber police.
Forty-one political prisoners in Evin Prison issued a letter following Beheshti’s death, emphasizing that they had witnessed the signs of torture on his body before he was taken from ward 350 one final time for interrogation.
Later, another letter from the political prisoners in section 350 indicated that Abolfazl Abedini, the “most knowledgeable” person in their ward regarding Beheshti’s case, had been transferred to Ahvaz Prison, and they expressed grave concern regarding his well-being.
Abedini was returned to Evin by order of Tehran’s Prosecutor but is now being held in quarantine and is reportedly refusing food.
The opposition claims that Behehsti was tortured to death, while the latest reports from the government investigation into the blogger’s death say he died from natural causes.
Still, reports also indicate that some of Beheshti’s interrogators have been arrested, and the government probe into his death is still ongoing.
