Iran: Health Taken Hostage: Cruel Denial of Medical Care in Iran’s Prisons

Source: www.amnesty.org

Significant new report from Amnesty International. Among other things, it says:

“Prisoner of conscience Afif Naimi, one of seven imprisoned leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for peacefully practising his religious beliefs, suffers from a severe blood clotting disorder which requires constant monitoring and regular, specialized medical care not available in prison. If left untreated or treated inappropriately, the blood clots can travel to the arteries or veins in the brain and heart, which can in turn cause a heart attack, a stroke, damage to the body’s organs or even death.

The lack of appropriate care in prison appears to have caused Afif Naimi bleeding and loss of consciousness, leading to frequent hospitalizations. Since June 2011, he has spent over 700 days in hospital. The Legal Medicine Organization of Iran has, therefore, stated multiple times that Afif Naimi is not fit for imprisonment. Despite this, the Office of the Prosecutor has refused to grant him medical leave or refer his case to court to issue an alternative sentence.”