HRD Esmail Abdi Denied Medical Treatment and Held with Security Prisoners in Kachoui Prison

Esmail Abdi is a teacher, civil activist and member of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Union who is serving a six year prison sentence for charges of “propaganda against the system” in Kachaoui Prison where he is denied adequate medical care and kept with dangerous crime prisoners without the separation of crimes.

His wife Monireh Abdi told Iran Human Rights: “Due to long hunger strikes behind bars, my husband has severe stomach pains, loss of appetite and a fatty liver. He’s also suffering from high blood pressure which doctors say was caused by psychological pressure and stress.”

Esmail has also been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which must be treated as soon as possible according to doctors. Prison infirmary staff have repeatedly stated that they do not have adequate resources to treat him and despite the prison authorising his furlough, the person in charge of political prisoners has thus far stood in the way.

Kachoui Prison is the third prison Esmail has served in. Esmail was serving his sentence in the political prisoners’ Ward 8 but was transferred to Ward 6 with ordinary crime prisoners for “singing and speaking at Behnam Mahjoubi’s memorial service” in March 2021. He was thereafter transferred to Karaj Central Penitentiary where he was held with theft and drug crime prisoners and ultimately to Kachaoui Prison on 7 July 2021.

He is currently detained in a ward for serious security crime prisoners like former IRGC and security forces. This, his wife told Iran Human Rights, has exacerbated his health issues due to the psychological pressure.

First briefly arrested in 2007, Esmail Abdi was arrested on two other occasions before his house was searched by the Ministry of Intelligence and his personal belongings confiscated in May 2010. In 2011, the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Pirabbasi, sentenced Esmail to 10 years imprisonment, which had been suspended for five years, on charges of “propaganda against the system” and “links to enemy states.” He was re-arrested on 27 July 2015 by the IRGC Sarallah forces and spent 10 months in detention, after which he was released on bail. On 22 February 2016, Esmail was sentenced to six years imprisonment for charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda” by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Salavati which was upheld on 7 October 2016. He was arrested at his home on 9 November 2016 to serve out his sentence. Esmail was furloughed from prison due to the COVID-19 outbreak in prisons in March 2020 but was detained when he went to the Evin Prison Prosecutor’s Office to extend his furlough on April 20, and returned to Evin Prison.