“The Narrative of a Veteran Who Was Imprisoned and Tortured” / Akbar Lakestani, a Former Political Prisoner on the Verge of Amputation

The following text is about Akbar Lakestani, a former political prisoner on the verge of amputation. The first letter is by Manouchehr Mohammadi, a former political prisoner and the main defendant in the Kuye Daneshgah Tehran Movement (Tehran University Kuey Movement) on July 9^th, 1999. He wrote about the Akbar Lakestani’s heath deterioration, who is on the verge of amputation due to torture and lack of access to medicine and treatment in Islamic Republic prisons.

The second note is a grievance letter written by Akbar Lakestani, the war frontline veteran, a former political prisoner and an Iranian-American citizen who is on the verge of being amputated due to torture in Islamic Republic prisons.

“The following letter is related to Akbar Lakestani, a famous and well-known former political prisoner who has spent more than six years of his life in the detention centers of the police force, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and spent his time in prison with arrest warrants, bail warrants and convictions. After that, when he was an Iranian-American citizen, Mr. Lakestani had traveled to Iran to visit his sick mother who was dying. He was arrested by the security forces upon entering Iran and was again sent to the detention centers of the police force and the Ministry of Information and was subjected to the most severe mental and physical tortures.

Due to the fact that he was a veteran of the war and also suffering from various diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and chemical warfare diseases, all the cases during his periods of detention and prison and also his transfer to the infection department and psychiatric department of the hospital according to the opinion of the prison supervising security judge and not with the psychiatrist’s opinion, as well as the mock execution and all the obvious violations of human rights and tortures inflicted on him, was sent to most media, including International, BBC, Man-O- To, Deutsche Welle, Radio France and Radio Farda by his friends and family, including myself, a former political prisoner, , but all these media had boycotted him.

Now that his big toe or ankles are about to be amputated, it is expected that at least because of humanity, they will not act like the past and stop boycotting news about him.

A person who had the highest responsibility in the country, but turned his back on all these responsibilities and his personal interests and spoke with his heart and soul to the wishes and sufferings of the people inside Iran, and so far, what expenses he has not paid in this way and what prisons and sufferings he didn’t take with all his soul.”

Manouchehr Mohammadi, a former political prisoner and one of the main defendants on the case of Kuye Daneshgah Tehran Movement (Tehran University Kuey Movement) in July 9^th, 1999.

A complete copy of the Akbar Lakestani’s letter has been provided to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, which follows;

To Whom it may concern,

I am writing to you to bring attention to the dire situation I am currently facing as an American citizen.

In 2019, I was arrested in Iran and subjected in prison to mental and physical torture by the regime.

During this time, my access to essential medicines was cut off, leading to serious health issues. This included an infection in my legs, which has since become a major concern.

Recently, I went to the emergency room of a hospital in Modesto, California, seeking treatment for my foot infection. However, I was discharged without proper attention given to the progress of my condition. As a result, I was forced to return to the emergency room a few months later with a high fever and a worsening infection. It was then determined that my finger may need to be amputated due to the severity of the infection.

However, a six-week treatment process with antibiotics was suggested as an alternative to amputation. I completed this course of treatment, but I am still unsure of what my future holds.

My leg should be photographed with an atomic ×-ray machine for diagnosis, but the machine is more than a month away. With each passing day, the possibility of my leg being amputated increases, and I am in urgent need of medical attention.

I am really frustrated by the delay in determining the status of my surgery and the lack of urgency in my situation. It is unacceptable that negligence and bureaucratic paperwork could lead to the amputation of my finger or even my ankle. This raises the question: what is the difference between a treatment and administrative system that neglects a minor infection to the point of amputation and the torturing system of a criminal regime?

Moreover, it is disheartening to note that during my arrest and torture in Iran, the US State Department did not provide any support, nor did it issue a statement demanding my release from the Iranian regime.

This is in contrast to its established practice of supporting dual nationals. I really appreciate it if you take immediate action to rectify this situation.

I need your help to investigate who is responsible for this negligence and why I am unable to receive timely treatment. I deserve to receive proper medical attention and not lose my leg due to bureaucratic procrastination. I trust that you will take appropriate action and ensure that such negligence and disregard for human life are not repeated in the future.

Sincerely,

Akbar Lakestani