ICC Note: Christian prisoner in Iran, Maryam Zargaran has been on another hunger strike for over two weeks now. Her health is deteriorating while Iranian courts have refused to grant her medical leave. Clinical staff in the prison have expressed serious concern for her well being, however, the ministry of intelligence will not approve a conditional release. Zargaran suffers from many medical ills including a weak heart. She was allowed one month leave earlier this summer but was summoned back to prison before her medical treatment was complete. Zargaran is in prison for her faith.

08/01/2016 Iran (Mohabat News):  It is now two weeks since female Christian prisoner, Maryam (Nasim) Naghash Zargaran resumed her hunger strike and new reports indicate that her health is deteriorating quickly. Her body has become very weak, posing an ever increasing health risk due to her heart condition.

Clinical staff in prison have expressed their serious concern over her poor health condition.

Her family was able to visit her earlier and found that she even refuses to go to the prison clinic as the staff mistreat her there.

Last Wednesday prison physicians examined her in relation to her recent request for conditional release because of her health issues and compiled a health report for the court reviewing her release request.

The medical report confirmed her heart disease and even found traces of MS disease in her. Despite receiving this report, the Iranian court stated that officials at the Ministry of Intelligence do not want Ms. Zargaran to be released.

Christian prisoner, Maryam Naghash Zargaran resumed her hunger strike on July 5, 2016 asking for “immediate and unconditional release”.

On the sixth day of her hunger strike, Ms. Zargaran wrote a letter stating “it is the time now to break my three year silence”. She wrote of her illegal arrest and interrogation as well as the unjust handling of her case, leaving her no choice but to go on a hunger strike.

Recently, her mother pleaded with Iranian prison and judicial authorities in a short video to handle her daughter’s case justly and speedily. She also asked for her daughter’s release unconditional release as she suffers from serious health issues.

Ms. Zargaran’s mother said she has made every effort in her power for her release. She said, she been going to the authorities every day, without receiving a solid answer from them.

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