Free Iranian Gonabadi Dervish Mohammad-Ali Dehghan, In Poor Health

Mohammad-Ali Dehghan was arrested on April 30, 2013 together with three other Gonabadi Dervish faith practicioners--Mohsen Esmaieli, Seyyed Ebrahim Bahrami, Mohammad Ali Sadeghi-- and were in detention center of Shiraz intelligence known as No.100 for one month enduring severe interrogation sessions which included torture.

The interrogators even resorted to abusing the prisoners' personal photos with family members, insulting to their religious leaders and threatening them with execution to intimidate and get confessions from them.

These severe mental and emotional torments affected the health condition of the Gonabadi dervishes, leading to such ailments as backache and nervous system problems.

All four were accused of establishing terroristic groups against the regime, enmity against God and carrying illegal weapons.

The true background of these charges are as follows: In September of 2011 regime agents gathered in front of a gathering of dervishes of Kowar and chanted offensive slogans against dervishes that resulted clashes, killing a dervish with bullet and injuring tens of dervishes.

Then a wave of arrests ensued against dervishes and pressures on dervishes to make false confessions increased so intensely that in the second half of 2011 and first half of 2012 more than 100 dervishes of Kowar were arrested, beaten and tried.

The health condition of Mohammad-Ali Dehghan, imprisoned in Shiraz's Adel-Abad prison is reportedly critical.

According to Majzooban Noor, Mohammad-Ali Dehghan, a resident of Kavar town in Fars province who is being held in Adel-Abad prison since 10th Ordibehesht 1392 (April 30, 2013) suffers from severe kidney pain
and needs to be taken to a hospital immediately.

But prison authorities are ignoring his request for transfer to hospital.

Since the week of September 8-14, the physical condition of prisoner of conscience, Mohammad-Ali Dehghan has deteriorated due to lack of medical care in prison and also excessive beating during a raid by prison intelligence unit officers in Ebrat Ward.

According to previous report by Majzooban Noor, Kasra Nouri, Gonabadi Dervish rights activist along with Mohsen Esmaeeli, Seyed Ebrahim Bahrami, Mohammad-Ali Sadeghi and Mohammad-Ali Dehghan, Gonabadi Dervishes residents of Kavar town have been severely beaten by prison intelligence unit officers on their face and stomach and their beards and mustaches were forcibly shaved.

Bearing in mind that the Dervishes have no records of such diseases before detention, the Prison officials are responsible for any incident or adverse that may happen to prisoners of conscience.

Furthermore, deny8ijng Mr. Dehghan medical care in a hospital, even one outside of prison grounds, is not only a violation of international law but also of Iran's own prison regulations.