Feb 3, 2023
Dr. Farhad Meysami, a political prisoner in Iran serving his 6-year sentence for the alleged crime of "spreading propaganda against the state", has been on hunger strike for a long time.
He has lost more than half of his body weight and his condition is critical.
In a letter from prison, he reiterated that he will not end the strike until his three demands are met:
1- Stop executions in Iran
2- Immediate release of 6 political prisoners - names mentioned in previous letters.
3- An end to the compulsory hijab and the persecution of Iranian women
Farhad Meysami started a three-part action 4 months ago and now he has lost weight due to avoiding "solid food and non-nutritive liquids" and "long walks."
Today, in a letter from prison, he wrote that he wants to drink bitter water for the next 10 days as a sign of "a time more bitter than poison" that the Islamic Republic "has created for everyone."
Jafar Panahi, the imprisoned prominent filmmaker, announced in a note posted on his wife's social media page that in protest against the "Extrajudicial and inhuman behavior of the judicial and security apparatus and the apparent hostage-taking", he started a dry food strike from the morning of February 1, and will neither eat nor drink until his release.
Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that at least 182 citizens in Kurdistan and 185 citizens in Sistan and Baluchestan were arrested in January.
Ongoing Street Protests
On Wednesday, February 1, the people of Abdanan, Ilam, came to the streets to protest against the arrest of two social media activists from this city. Local resources report that the protest started with chanting and gathering of around 100 people in one of the city’s main squares. Following the protests, 10 individuals have been arrested and at least 5 have been injured.
Abdanan is located in Ilam province, with a population of around 6000 people.
In a tweet, journalist Sima Parvaneh Gohar reported a ban on makeup for female newscasters on the Islamic Republic Broadcasting (IRIB).
This reporter wrote, "Since two months ago, Khodabakhshi, the political deputy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, has dismissed the make-up artists of news departments and announced that female newscasters will have to go in front of the camera without any make-up."
A Sustained Uprising
Over 500 students joined an online campaign advocating the freedom of Saeed Madani, a sociologist.
Saeed Madani recently published an analysis of the current situation in Iran. In his article, 100 Years and 100 Days, he analyzed the roots of the recent uprising and mentioned the crucial role of women and girls.
“The fact that the protests have been going on for over 100 days, changes in forms of protest, and the daily fight of women and girls impacted social activism a lot.” Says Madani in this article.