Amnesty calls on Iran to 'immediately' release political prisoner Nazari
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Amnesty international has demanded that Iran releases political prisoner Mohammad Nazari whose health is deteriorating due to a hunger strike.
"He must be released immediately and unconditionally," wrote Amnesty International in an 'urgent action' bulletin on Monday.
Nazari, 46, has been in Iranian prison since May 1994 for his alleged political affiliations.
"Despite his deteriorating health, Mohammad Nazari has said that he will continue his hunger strike until he dies, unless the authorities grant his repeated requests for a fair review of his case," Amnesty pleaded.
Naziri has lost about 25 kilograms since he began his hunger strike on July 30, according to Amnesty. It reported he also suffers from "general health problems including heart disease" and has low blood pressure.
"[H]e has become so physically weak that he can no longer walk or talk," added the rights organization.
Detained by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran's West Azerbaijan Province at age 23, Nazari is alleged of supporting the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI or HDKA).
He was convicted of "enmity against God (moharebeh)." The court handed down its verdict based on "confessions," which Nazari has claimed was "forced," according to Amnesty.
In 2012, his case was reviewed by the Prosecutor General, who found him innocent; however, the Intelligence Ministry disagreed with his release and he remained in prison to face a life sentence.
PDKI is a banned Kurdish party in Iran. It has waged an off-and-on guerillas war against Iran's government since 1979. It resumed clashes in 2015 after a ceasefire that lasted almost two decades.
Nazari initially faced a death sentence before it was changed to a life sentence. Iran maintains one of the highest per-capita execution rates for political prisoners in the world. According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, 567 and 977 people were executed in 2016 and 2015, respectively.