Iranian Writers’ Association: “Stop Killing Freedom-Seeking Writers”

Human rights defender Baktash Abtin contracted COVID-19 for the second time in early December 2021 while serving his six-year sentence in Evin Prison. Baktash was granted medical furlough on December 13, when he was transferred to a hospital.

On January 1, the Iranian Writers’ Association reported that Baktash was in a medical induced coma after his health had “further deteriorated.”

In a statement four days later, they announced that his physical condition had reached a “severely alarming” stage due to the lack of timely access to medical care and the delay in being transferred to the hospital by prison officials.

Condemning the “fabricated cases” and “silent killing” of freedom-seeking writers, IWA has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all its members.

Keyvan Bajan, Reza Khandan-Mahabadi and Arash Ganji are the other members of the Association currently serving prison terms in Iran.

Baktash was tried by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moghiseh with his co-defendants and IWA colleagues, Reza Khandan Mahabadi and Keyvan Bajan on 22 January 2019. Baktash was sentenced to five years imprisonment for “assembly and collusion against national security” and a year for “propaganda against the system’’ by the same court on 15 May 2019. His sentence was upheld by Judge Ahmad Zargar when it was heard before Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeal in December 2019.

Baktash was arrested and transferred to serve his sentence in Evin Prison on 26 September 2020. He was prevented from receiving outside treatment for pain in his groin area for four months before he was finally transferred to the Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital on July 18, where he was shackled to the bed.