Harrowing circumstances of Kamal Sharifi, a Kurdish Political Prisoner: 5511 Days of Incarceration and Systematic Violation of Human Rights. Hengaw’s thorough report
Kamal Sharifi, a Kurdish political prisoner, has served just about half of his 30-year sentence, e
Hengaw; Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Kamal Sharifi, a Kurdish political prisoner, has served just about half of his 30-year sentence, enduring 5,511 days of imprisonment. His confinement has been marked by a persistent denial of basic human rights, compounded by two heart attacks suffered during his detention at Minab Prison.
According to reliable sources at Hengaw, Kamal Sharifi, a 51-year-old Kurdish journalist and political prisoner, currently in his 15th year of imprisonment, remains held in the high-security section of Minab Prison, located in Hormozgan Province. He is subjected to continuous deprivation of furlough and is denied the right to visit his family members.
In a brief court session that lasted merely five minutes, overseen by Judge "Shayagh" of Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj, Kamal Sharifi was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment, charged with “moharabeh” enmity for membership of PDKI, along with exile to Minab Prison. Additionally, he has been stripped of all prisoner rights, including furlough, employment opportunities, family visits, and any form of communication.
During his initial arrest, Kamal Sharifi endured inhumane treatment and brutal torture, aiming to extract a coerced confession. Reflecting on his trial, he stated, "The trial lasted less than five minutes, and even when I greeted my lawyer, Mr. Ahmad Saeed Sheikhi, for the judge’s warning didn’t even get a response.
Kamal Sharifi experienced a stroke and a heart attack in 2012 and again in 2020, respectively, resulting in partial paralysis on the right side of his body. He underwent surgical procedures at a hospital in Bandar Abbas.
On the 48th day of his hunger strike in 2012, Kamal Sharifi had a brief encounter with his brother and mother in the presence of several prison staff, within the confines of the prison warden's office. Regrettably, he was not permitted to converse with his Kurdish-speaking mother in their native language. Instead, he was compelled to communicate in Persian, a language that his mother does not comprehend. This restricted visit was orchestrated solely by the Sanandaj Intelligence Office as a means to end Sharifi's hunger strike.
Kamal Sharifi was initially arrested on Sunday, May 25th, 2008, carried out by the Revolutionary Guards forces, after which he was immediately transferred to the Sanandaj Intelligence Office, blindfolded and with his hands and feet bound.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009, this political prisoner was transferred to the central prison in Minab. Since then, under the pressure exerted by the Sanandaj Intelligence Office, he has been subject to the deprivation of all his fundamental rights.
It is important to note that this Kurdish individual had previously received a sentence of two years in prison and 40 lashes from the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj in 1989 and 1990, on charges related to his support and collaboration with the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
