Fourteen Gonabadi Dervishes, imprisoned in Iranian prisons, are on a hunger strike with demands such as “the complete abolition of security pressures and restrictions on the Gonabadi Dervishes and Noor Ali Tabandeh, Gonabadi Dervishes’ Spiritual Leader, reopening of places of worship, and permission to assemble.”
These 14 Gonabadi Dervishes are among the 70 Dervishes who went on hunger strikes on Sunday, November 3rd, 2019. Despite orders from security authorities to transfer them to other prisons from The Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary (Fashafuyeh), some of these prisoners are still on hunger strike. “Some of these people have become so weak that they no longer have the ability to move and they can hardly speak.”
Reza Entesari, Sina Entesari, Mustafa Abdi, Morteza Kangarloo, Saeed Dorandish, Ahmad Iranikhah, Javad Khamisabadi, Majid Rashidi, Sekhvat Salimi, and Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam in The Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary; Mohsen (Shahram) Moghadasi, in Boroujerd Prison, Mostafi Mirmohamadi in Qom Prison, Saeed Soltanpour, in Ghezel Hesar Prison, and Salehuddin Moradi in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz are 14 Dervish prisoners on hunger strike.
A source familiar with the Dervishes’ hunger strike told the Campaign, “The 14 Gonabadi Dervishes detained in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, Boroujerd, Qom, Ghezel Hesar, and Adelabad Prisons are in terrible condition. Most of them are so weak that they are unable to move or barely able to talk. They have severe physical weakness and hypotension and have lost weight. Some of these people have kidney and abdominal pain.”
According to this report, the latest situation of the Dervishes on hunger strike is as follows:
- Reza Entesari is in poor health condition due to his history of heart attacks from previous strikes. He has severely abnormal heart rate and kidney pain.
- Sinai Entesari has developed weakness and severe weight loss.
- Mustafa Abdi has also lost a lot of weight, severe hypotension, and physical weakness.
- Morteza Kangarloo has stomach bleeding and is in poor physical health.
- Saeed Dorandish has severe physical weakness and severe hypotension.
- Ahmad Iranikhah has severe nausea, can hardly move, and can no longer can talk.
- Javad Khamisabadi is in critical condition due to severe gastric bleeding and kidney pain. His condition deteriorated, and he lost consciousness yesterday December 15th, 2019
- Majid Rashidi has severe weight loss, hypotension, and physical weakness.
- Sekhvat Salimi has severe kidney pain.
- Mohsen (Shahram) Moghadasi, in Boroujerd Prison has had stomach bleeding two or three times so far.
- Mostafi Mirmohamadi has severe hypotension and severe physical weakness.
- Saeed Soltanpour has gastric bleeding, severe hypotension, and severe abdominal pain.
- Salehuddin Moradi has severe weight loss and physical weakness.
- Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam has developed abdominal pain, nausea, and biliary tract obstruction, and is unable to speak.
A group of Dervish doctors and paramedics have also written a letter to Dervishes on hunger strike, urging them to end their hunger strike.
The full text of a copy of the letter which has been obtained by the campaign reads:
“The faithful brothers in prison,
Beloved ones, now that you have given up your life for the sake of your cause, and not only the authorities but also the noble Iranian nation have heard your voice, you have archived your goal and mission. It is time to restore your health. Your body and even your will are not yours alone. Society needs you and to respond is to pay attention to your earthly body. So, we physicians are calling on you for your social and moral duty to end your strike.
May God Grant Victory,
A group of Dervish doctors and paramedics”