While Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian is in her eigth year of imprisonment in Khoy Prison and suffering from a mouth disease, and despite constant request for medical care outside of prison, judiciary and security officials continue to refuse to provide her with medical assistance.
The Kurdish political prisoner is also suffering from eye illnesses. Jalalian was sentenced by a “revolution” court to death, and then lowered to life in prison, on charges of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) and membership in a Kurdish group. (Kurdpa – November 8, 2015)
In the most recent development, she has written a letter to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran describing her ordeal.
“My name is Zeinab Jalalian, an imprisoned young Kurdish woman currently held in Khoy Prison. It is true that you have the statistics of Iran’s prisons. However, in Iran there are large and notorious prisons for political prisoners, acting as torture chambers to get confessions
from innocent individuals who are in jail for the sole reason of defending their beliefs. The Revolutionary Guards intelligence and Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) have a lot of influence in these prisons.
Mr. Shaheed! I know quite well you are not able to impel Iran to send me to a hospital out of prison to receive medical care for my eyes. However, my request is to raise the issue of ill prisoners in your annual report. Many political prisoners are deprived of medical care and leave.
According to the prison clinic’s medical report, I am on the verge of going blind and a few months ago, I was transferred from Diesel Abad Prison in the city of Kermanshah (west) to Khoy Prison. At that time I was promised to be taken to a hospital. However, to this day this promise has remained unanswered.
In prison, I was told many times if I cooperate with the MOIS there would be a second review of my sentence and I would also enjoy leave from prison. However, I have rejected any cooperation with the MOIS. Despite all this, I had requested to be transferred from Kermanshah prison to Maku Prison so that my family would be able to visit me there. However, I was transferred to Khoy Prison and even then I was deprived of any family visits. Is this not a sign of violating the rights of a young woman who is imprisoned for her beliefs? To this day I have gone on hunger strike many times, yet there have been no changes in my case and I was also not transferred to that prison.
I was arrested in March of 2008. All parts of my body show signs of torture, and this letter to you is only a tip of the iceberg of the physical and psychological blows I have endured through these many years behind bars.
Please don’t forget ill prisoners!
Zeinab Jalalian – Khoy Prison
Friday, November 6, 2015