Kurdish Political Prisoner Karwan Shahi Parvaneh Goes on Hunger Strike to Protest Prolonged Detention

Hengaw: Friday, May 10, 2024

Karwan Shahi Parvaneh, a Kurdish political prisoner hailing from Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan (Urmia) province, and one of the detainees of the Women, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement, has commenced a hunger strike to protest his 20-month detention without due process in Oshnavieh Central Prison.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Karwan Shahi Parvaneh initiated the hunger strike on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, within Oshnavieh Central Prison, denouncing the continued absence of legal proceedings in his case.

A source close to the prisoner's family revealed that Karwan Shahi Parvaneh, now in his fourth day of hunger strike as of Thursday, May 9, 2024, commenced the protest to highlight the lack of progress and transparency in addressing his case.

Karwan Shahi Parvaneh, a 23-year-old resident of Oshnavieh, was arrested on the evening of Monday, October 24, 2022, during Women, Life, Freedom movement by Iranian Intelligence forces in Oshnavieh. Subsequently, he endured prolonged detention in the security detention centers of Urmia, enduring both physical and psychological torture.

Accused of "moharebeh" (Waging war against god) along with six other detainees from Oshnavieh, Karwan Shahi Parvaneh and his co-detainees were acquitted of the charge after 18 months in the last hearing of Branch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Urmia. Previous reports by Hengaw indicated instances of psychological torture and "demonstrative execution" during their incarceration.

Following an 18-month detention period, Karwan Shahi Parvaneh was granted a 5-day leave on Thursday, March 22, 2023. However, upon his return, he was once again transferred to Oshnavieh Central Prison, where he remains to this day.