I am Soheil Arabi writing to your from the depths of horrific prisons in Iran under Islamic Republic. I been arrested 6 years ago in 2013 just because I was criticizing the Islam and the religion in my blog and social media. The Islamic government arrested and sentenced me to death by charge of insulting the prophet, God, supreme leader Khamenei, and Haddad Adel some conservative political figure… I’ve been sentenced to death for these! If I’m even alive yet, that’s because of international efforts by people for my basic human rights.
Today I again refer to you to save my life, this time because of spread of coronavirus in the jails of Iran because of failure of Islamic Rep. system on serving people. The whole country is dealing with coronavirus outbreak and jails are in more danger because of lack of standard healthcare and over populated cells. The deasese can spread very fast between the prisoners and governmen doesn’t have the will to care for prisoners, specially political prisoners. Prisoners are slaves of the authorities here with no rights. Thousands here die in silence and out of legislation. You may die by hanging openly or they kill you under interrogation or lack of medicine. Remember the point is getting rid of you!
Now that the whole Iran is dealing with Corona outbreak and the government doesn’t have efficiency to deal with the issue, people on the streets wandering between drugstores to find disinfectant alcohol or mask, it’s fair to say prisoners (who are in worst treatment care list of the government) should get leave permission for the period until the coronavirus outbreak chills down, or we’re gonna deal with thousands and thousands infected prisoners in hands of the society.
Ebrahim Raesi representative of the juridical system, under international efforts and pressure has accepted to give leave permission to some of financial offenders and civil offenders, but yet not to accept giving leave permission to political and thoughts prisoners like me who are in jail mostly because of that to write an article. People like Atena Daemi, Jafar Azim Zadeh that are under hardest security measures who are in prison only and only because of using freedom of speech, not even having a simple knife. Being in prison only to stop you from writing and enlightenment. Writing on topics like worker rights or criticism of Islam and stoning!
Regards
Soheil Arabi
Atheist political prisoner
03 March 2020