On 2 November 2013, human rights defender and lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani began a hunger strike to protest about the lack of proper medical care for himself and other prisoners of conscious jailed in Tehran’s Evin prison.

Reports confirm that three other inmates have joined Soltani’s hunger strike, refusing to eat and drinking only tea or water.

Abdolfattah Soltani is a prominent human rights lawyer, and spokesman for the Human Rights Defenders’ Center (CHRD). He co-founded the group with Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Shirin Ebadi.

On 4 March 2012, Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Soltani to 18 years in prison. The court also imposed a 20 year ban on his legal practice. The charges were described as “being awarded the 2009 Nuremberg International Human Rights Award,” “being interviewed by the media about his clients’ cases,” and “co-founding the Human Rights Defenders’ Center.” On 11 June 2012, his family was told that the appeal court had upheld his conviction and reduced his sentence to 13 years in prison.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights believes that Abdolfattah Soltani is targeted solely due to his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities and in particular his work as a co-founder and spokesperson of the (CHRD).

The Gulf Centre Human Rights calls on the authorities in Iran to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Abdolfattah Soltani and drop all the charges against him;

2. Ensure the physical and psychological integrity and security of Abdolfattah Soltani;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Iran are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights calls your attention to the rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” in particular to    Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to  Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.