A group of political prisoners detained in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, following the death of Baktash Abtin, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA), wrote a letter expressing their condolences to the survivors and blaming the Islamic Republic for the incident.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, a group of political prisoners detained in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj following the death of Baktash Abtin, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA), wrote a letter expressing sympathy with his survivors, blaming the Islamic Republic for the incident. “We believe that the recurrence of such atrocities can only be prevented by responsibly participating in litigation campaigns and challenging the rule of law in relation to such crimes,” the letter said in part.
The text of this letter, which has reached the campaign for publication, is as follows:
The great nation of Iran,
Once again, the Chain Murders of Iran’s train, at Evin station, dragged another detained writer in chain to death to record the duties instead of fulfilling the obligation.
Yes, in the course of fighting censorship, coercion and ignorance, another irreparable cost was imposed on the dissident and libertarian society. Baktash Abtin, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, sacrificed his life for freedom of expression to testify to the autocracy of the rulers, the domination of the interrogators and the incompetence of the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic.
Abtin s crime was speaking and writing, and his guilt was questioning and enlightenment; the imprisonment of sympathizers like him, during the Corona epidemic, has no basis other than the irrationality of the authorities and the fear of the rulers of the treasures of this region.
We, the political prisoners imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison, while expressing our condolences to the survivors of that noble man, hold the Islamic Republic responsible for his death and believe that the recurrence of such atrocities can only be prevented by responsibly participating in litigation campaigns and challenging the rule of law in relation to such crimes.
Names of signatories:
Saeed Eghbali, Motaleb Ahmadian, Ahad Barzegar, Iraj Hatami, Hamzeh Savari, Hassan Sadeghi, Pirooz Mansouri, Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, Ali Musa Nejad Farkoush, Mehdi Meskinnawaz, Farhad Meysami and Nasrollah Lashani.
Baktash Abtin, who was serving his sentence in Evin Prison, was transferred to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran due to his poor physical condition and coronary symptoms on Monday, December 6th, 2021. He was transferred to the intensive care unit of Taleghani Hospital in Tehran. Finally, Mr. Abtin’s family and lawyer were able to get prison temporary sick leave for him and transferred him another hospital on the evening of Monday, December 13th, 2021. This member of the Iranian Writers’ Association of Iran finally died at his sickbed on Saturday, January 8th, 2022.
The Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) had previously issued a statement expressing concern over the general condition of Baktash Abtin, noting that Mr. Abtin’s current condition had worsened due to lack of timely medical care and hospitalization. The consequences of everything that happens to imprisoned writers, especially Baktash Abtin IWA wrote: “The government of the Islamic Republic is responsible for the consequences of anything that happens to imprisoned writers, especially Baktash Abtin. The government has deliberately taken the lives of political prisoners and they should be released before any catastrophe occurs, especially since we all know that these writers did not commit any crime that would require punishment.”Reaction of Polit