The Unknown Custodial Status of Father of Reza Lotfi, Slain Protester After Two Weeks of Detention
Hengaw, Sunday, April 21, 2024
Kamal Lotfi, a member of a grieving family and the father of Reza Lotfi, who was killed during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, remains detained after two weeks despite suffering from psoriasis. His uncertain condition is causing significant distress to his family, who are deeply concerned about his health.
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Kamal Lotfi has been in detention for two weeks, yet there is still no information available about his custodial status, despite continuous efforts by his family to obtain information.
Lotfi, who was previously detained last year and suffered from psoriasis while in Kamyaran Central Prison, was deprived of access to necessary medical care outside the prison, leading to a deterioration of his condition.
A source close to the Lotfi family revealed to Hengaw that despite medical experts in Hamedan and Sanandaj recommending urgent medical attention for Lotfi and expressing concerns about his ability to tolerate imprisonment, he has been detained again by security forces, with no information about his condition provided after two weeks, causing significant worry for his family regarding his health.
In a recent report by Hengaw, it was revealed that Kamal Lotfi has been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Dehgolan for various charges, including propaganda against the government and insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
With the application of Article 510 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Law on the Consolidation of Sentences), the most severe sentence for Lotfi, who was recently detained, will be equivalent to two years of enforceable imprisonment.
Kamal Lotfi, a 46-year-old father from Dehgolan, was re-detained on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, after appearing for the second time at the Revolutionary Court of Qorveh.
His son, Reza Lotfi, was shot dead by Iranian police special forces during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement on September 19, 2022.
Hengaw previously highlighted the pressure imposed on Kamal Lotfi by government authorities following his son's killing. In response to government propaganda claiming that his son was killed by "anti-revolutionaries" (a term used for Kurdish opposition parties), Lotfi released a video denying these claims and asserting that his son was killed by government forces.
It is worth noting that Kamal Lotfi was previously detained on Monday, April 16, 2023, on one of the streets of Dehgolan without the presentation of any judicial warrant by security forces. Subsequently, he was transferred to Kamyaran Prison.
Lotfi was released from Kamyaran Prison on Tuesday, July 2, 2023, after spending 78 days in detention by posting bail temporarily pending the conclusion of his trial proceedings.
During his time in Kamyaran Prison, Lotfi was diagnosed with a skin disease and undertook hunger strikes multiple times due to the noncooperation regarding his transfer to medical centers.
