A detained civil activist Goes on Hunger Strike Following Forced Confession Under Torture in Ilam

Hengaw; Monday, July 17, 2023

Vahid Chavaran, a mountaineer and detained civil activist from SarabBagh in the suburbs of Abdanan (Awdanan), has initiated a hunger strike at Ilam Central Prison after being coerced into making a forced confession under torture at the intelligence Detention Center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
 

According to a report received by the Hengaw organization for Human Rights, beginning Sunday July 16th, 2023, Vahid Chavaran, a detained protester from SarabBagh, began his hunger strike at the central prison in protest against his situation and the acts of torture he endured at the intelligence Detention Center of the IRGC in Ilam.
 

Hengaw has learned that Vahid Chavaran was subjected to severe pressure and torture at the intelligence Detention Center of the IRGC, forcing him to make self-incriminating statements on camera in front of government media outlets.
 

It is worth noting that government forces made several attempts to arrest Vahid Chavaran during the "Jin, Jian, Azadi" movement, and in one instance, two of his sisters were hospitalized due to the use of tear gas.
 

Vahid Chavaran was ultimately apprehended by government forces at an Iranian border point in Urmia while attempting to leave the country on Friday, June 23rd, 2023, and was transferred to the intelligence Detention Center of the IRGC in Ilam. Following interrogation and torture, he was then transferred to Ilam Central Prison.
 

It is important to note that since his arrest, this political prisoner has been deprived of access to legal representation and prevented from meeting with his family.