Public concern has increased over dire health conditions of female political prisoner, Zeinab Jalalian, presently held at Khoy’s Prison, northwestern Iran.
Ms. Jalalian, 33, was arrested in 2007 by the Intelligence Department of Kermanshah, on the charge of having contact with Kurdish parties and “waging war on God.” She was initially sentenced to death, but her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, but she has not been personally informed of her charges and sentence.
In the eight years since her imprisonment, she has not had any leaves despite suffering from serious illnesses. If not treated, her eye condition can lead to blindness while she suffers from chronic intestinal problems caused by nervous pressure. Prison officials, however, have not allowed her to receive medical treatment outside prison despite her family’s willingness to pay for all her expenses. She has been on hunger strike several times during her imprisonment.