Rights group condemns use of firearms against prisoners in Iran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Amnesty International has condemned the use of firearms against inmates by prison authorities in Iran, calling the act “unnecessary and excessive”.
“The reports of the Iranian prison guards’ reckless and heavy-handed response to protests at Shahr-e-Rey prison are deeply alarming.” Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Philip Luther, said in a press release.
According to the Amnesty report many prisoners had been taken to hospital to receive treatment for the effects of tear gas.
The report says that prison guards had used tear gas, firearms and pepper inside the women-only Shahr e-Rey prison outside Tehran.
“Prison authorities must refrain from using unnecessary and excessive force against prisoners. Instead of carrying out violent raids against prisoners, they should be working to address the inhumane and squalid conditions at Shahr-e Rey prison.” MENA advocacy director said.
The unrest inside the prison is reported to have started on Thursday, February 7 when a number of women prisoners tried to get attention and medical care for an inmate.
The incident had then led to the women “banging their hands on the doors of their cells in protest against the fact that their names have not been included on a list of thousands of prisoners due to be pardoned for the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.”
Meanwhile France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on Saturday that Abubakr Rostami, a Kurdish prisoner in Zahedan has begun a hunger strike for being transferred to the quarantine.
The rights group said in a report, “Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that Abubakr Rostami, a Sunni religious prisoner on death row, started his hunger strike on Saturday February 02 in protest to being transferred to the quarantine unit of the prison by the order of Mohammad Hossein Khosravi, head of the Zahedan Central Prison, for unknown reasons.”
