Iranian Resistance calls on all international human rights advocates to take action to save Sohail Arabi’s life, a 32-year-old political prisoner who is in a state of emergency on his thirty-ninth day of hunger strike (including 9 days of dry strike), and demands urgent and effective action for his freedom. Sohail Arabi, despite deterioration of his condition, is deprived of necessary treatment.
Sohail Arabi, a graduate of photography and father of a young girl, was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards intelligence in the fall of 2013, and was subjected to torture in solitary confinement in ward A-2 of the IRGC.
Sohail Arabi was first sentenced to execution, then seven and a half years of imprisonment, for publishing photos of the 2009 uprising, the cartoon of Khamenei, and the reinsertion of articles in cyberspace. He was accused for “Propaganda against the state”, “apostasy”, “blasphemy against Prophet and insulting the sanctity”. In addition, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine of 30 lashes for insulting regime leaders.
According to the verdict of the mullahs’ inquisition court, to prove his regret and rescue from execution, Sohail Arabi has been sentenced to two years of “religious investigation”, reading 13 volumes of mullahs’ absurd books about religion, and writing a summary of these nonsense stuff.
According to this disgusting ruling, he should submit a written response to his doubts to the court, write a paper using five religious books, and submit his research report to the court every three months for two years. The death penalty will be removed after proving his regret to the court and changing his behavior.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
October 1, 2017
