A source close to the family of Hamidreza Najafi, a political prisoner in Arak Prison, has informed Voice of America that Najafi has been on a hunger strike since December 21. According to the report, the reason for Najafi’s hunger strike is the denial of his legal rights by the Islamic Republic’s judicial authorities, including the right to family visits and conditional release.
The informed source expressed the family’s deep concern over the lack of information regarding Najafi’s health and wellbeing during these days of his strike. They added that in a recent appeal, Najafi’s sentence was extended by three months.
Hamidreza Najafi, a civil activist in Markazi Province, turned himself in on December 8 to serve an eight-and-a-half-month sentence and was transferred to Arak Prison. Prior to his imprisonment, Najafi, standing outside Arak Prison, declared in a message, “I have one life, and it is a thousand times dedicated to Iran.”
In his statement, Najafi criticized the Islamic Republic authorities, accusing them of misleading the public from the beginning and failing to have a plan for the country’s development and progress. He emphasized that the authorities have been destroying the ancient land of Iran and its people to preserve the regime, highlighting their stated priority of maintaining the system above all.